What They Lost
by fachellthesquirell
Summary: She has more potential than anyone ever realized. She has more thoughts than she ever voiced. She has more love in her heart than she ever expressed. She is more than she was told. Amelia overcame and she conquered with the elegance she was told she never had.
1. Chapter One: Among Friends

**A/N: This chapter is a bit short but the next one will be published momentarily. Reviews are appreciated and encouraged! I hope you enjoy!**

 ** _These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter One: Among Friends**

Narcissa Malfoy combed through her daughter's hair calmly. She looked at her proudly, a quiet smile on her face.

"You look beautiful, Amelia."

The girl in question looked up timidly at her, "Thank you, Mother."

"I want you to have fun tonight, dear. Don't do anything you don't want to do. But try to socialize a little bit. Everyone is here for you. This is your night."

Amelia nodded and bit her lip nervously, "What if they don't like me?"

Narcissa suppressed an eye roll, "Everyone who has ever met you has adored you, Amelia. You have nothing to worry about. Tonight, you will get your wand and become the witch your father and I raised you to be."

"Yes, Mother."

"There." Narcissa said, setting down the comb. "You're ready. Let's make our appearance or your father will start to worry."

Amelia took her mother's outstretched hand. She followed along clumsily until they reached the ballroom. One of the house elves swept the door open for them.

"Thank you, Jelli." Amelia said politely.

The young house elf blushed and looked down at the ground, "My pleasure Miss Malfoy."

Amelia could feel her mother's eyes on her but she ignored them. Usually when she was kind to the help, she was reprimanded.

"That's no way to be a mistress, Amelia." Her father would say, "You need a firm tone. Show no mercy."

Sometimes Amelia wondered if she was even capable of using a firm tone or being mean to the house elves.

When they entered the ballroom, Lucius Malfoy greeted them. He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek and his daughter a kiss on the forehead.

"Remember your manners, dear." He reminded her quietly.

"Yes, Father."

His stare on her relaxed. He cleared his throat, which somehow caught the attention of the whole room. Everyone was seated. The whole room was quiet as her father stood with a wine glass in his hand. He was in his formal mode.

"Tonight," he said, holding up his wine glass, "is a momentous night. This is the eve on which my only daughter, my youngest child, leaves for Hogwarts, a place where she will learn from the best to become the best that she can be. I have great faith that she will excel in everything she does thanks to the guidance of her older brother, Draco, and those involved in the proud house of Slytherin."

A few people cheered at this. Amelia's insides shriveled. She felt as though everyone was watching her sweat through her dress. Surely they noticed the stains. She ran her hands through her hair, struggling to keep calm.

"With that said, Amelia has yet to receive her wand. As many of you are keenly aware, a proper witch and wizard train with a wand. Therefore, I have called upon Ollivander, the greatest wand maker in the country, to provide my daughter with her wand."

Amelia watched as an old man came forward. He brought with him a huge selection of wands. His cart was so enormous that he had to be assisted by a pair of her fathers friends.

"Miss Malfoy." Ollivander said, bringing out measuring tape. It magically came to life and began to take note of every part of her body.

When it was done measuring everything of necessity, he started mumbling to himself. He rifled through the seemingly randomly stacked wands, his fingers dancing over the complicatedly marked boxes.

Finally, he pulled out a box and dusted off the top.

"Hawthorne. 10 ½ inches. Dragon heartstring."

Amelia looked down at it as she held it in her hand.

"Give it a wave."

She did. And nothing happened. He swiped it out of her hand and gave her another one to try. It didn't work either, as glass from across the room shattered.

"No, definitely not."

The next wad he presented her with was a very simple, lightly colored wood shaped with a slight bend.

"Cherry. 10 inches. Phoenix feather. A great wand for charm work."

As soon as the wand was placed in her hands, she felt warmth spread from her fingers all the way down to her toes. It filled her chest. She smiled.

"I believe that's the one, sir." Ollivander said to her father.

"Excellent. How much?"

"Eight galleons, sir."

Lucius nodded and pulled out the money, practically throwing it at the old man. Ollivander humbly packed up his things and started out of the ball room. But not before giving Amelia and wink and mouthing something she couldn't quite understand.

Something about that man intrigued her. But she wasn't brave enough to inquire after her instincts.

"There. She is a proper witch. I would like to make a toast." Her father said, hoding up his glass of wine, "To Amelia. Let fortune follow her and bless her with a stable education. Let her thrive in Slytherin House."

"Hear, hear!" A man Amelia recognized as Theodore Nott's father cheered. "To Amelia."

The rest of the room followed in his lead, "To Amelia!"

She blushed and hid her face.

When the attention was safely off her again, Amelia ran up to Draco, who was talking to his friends, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe.

"Draco tell Father to leave me alone. He knows that I don't like the attention."

Draco smiled lovingly at his little sister, "He's just proud of you is all. You've completed your tutoring wonderfully. He just expects a lot out of you and can't wait to see it happen. You know how he likes to flaunt things. He's just showing you off."

"I'm no show pony." Amelia grumbled, crossing her arms and sitting beside him.

Her brother glanced at his friends. They took off a few seconds later. "Listen, I know you hate being the center of attention. You'd rather sneak off and read a book in the library. Father knows that too. Why do you think he added that whole wing to the family library last year? That was for you! It just catches him off guard because we're so different. I would love nothing more than to hop on a broom and win the Quidditch World Cup. You prefer reading about it. There's nothing wrong with either of those things. Father is still learning."

Amelia looked up at him through her eyelashes, "Are you certain? Sometimes I feel like he hates me. He always seems to prefer you."

Draco shrugged, "I don't know what goes on in his head. Everything I say is speculation. But I'm usually right, which is why you should trust me."

Amelia sighed, "I do trust you. You're my brother."

"Good."

They were quiet for just a few minutes before another thought came to her head, "What if I'm not in Slytherin."

Draco looked stunned, "What a ridiculous idea! Of course you'll be in Slytherin. You're a Malfoy aren't you?"

Before Amelia could answer, he continued.

"You are. There's no way you'll end up anywhere else. I can promise you that everything will end up like it's supposed to."

Amelia looked at him uncertainly, "If you're sure…"

"I would never lie to you. I only lie when I have something to hide. And I am definitely not hiding anything."


	2. Chapter Two: Transition

**A/N: Reviews are encouraged and appreciated.**

 ** _These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Two: Transition**

Any ounce of courage that her brother had given her the night before was completely gone when she looked up at the steaming Hogwarts Express. The crowds of children milling about made Amelia sweat. She wondered if they would be able to see armpit stains through her cardigan.

"This is goodbye." Her father said stiffly, glancing at his golden pocket watch. "We'll see you at Christmas. Write to us, Amelia, and tell us how you're fitting in at Slytherin, yes?"

"Yes, father." Amelia replied timidly.

Lucius nodded at her before shaking Draco's hand firmly and leaving them to find one of his many associates.

Narcissa smiled down at her children. "Make us proud, you two. Draco, watch over your sister. No matter what, do you understand?"

"Yes, Mother." Draco said, "She'll be fine."

"Good." She turned to Amelia, "You are going to do great things, Amelia. I know you will. Everything you do will matter." She gave them each a hug before following after their father.

"Where are we sitting?" Amelia asked Draco once their parents were gone.

"Let me find my friends." Draco said, standing on his toes, "I'm sure they'll be fine letting you sit with us. If not, they can find somewhere else."

"Hey, Malfoy!" A familiar fat boy with a face that reminded Amelia of a troll chugged up to them. He took a minute once they reached him to take a few breaths. "Amelia."

"Goyle." Draco said absently.

Amelia chomped on the inside of her cheek, "Hello, Gregory."

"Come on. Everyone else is probably already on the train." Draco said, dragging Amelia behind him. Goyle struggled to keep up.

Amelia was caught off guard when she saw her brother glare at a girl with bushy brown hair talking to a boy with a terrified expression on his face.

"Granger. Longbottom. Potter decided not to come this year? No bother. Guess your body guard can't protect you now."

The girl surged forward, "You know very well we can handle ourselves, Malfoy."

Draco smirked at them, "We'll see."

When they were out of earshot, Amelia whispered, "What was that?'

"Just a load of good fun. Just teasing." Draco replied, though his long hesitation before answering made Amelia doubtful.

The train ride to the school was uneventful. Draco made jokes with his friends, making fun of people behind their back. Amelia had been completely unaware that her brother was this vicious and cruel. Whoever "Longbottom" was certainly didn't deserve the names he received.

When they arrived at Hogsmeade, Amelia was called to the boats by a huge man wearing furs. She looked uncertainly at Draco.

"Go on. You only have to listen to that oaf for a little while. He's just taking you to be sorted. Then you'll be back with me. Don't worry."

She nodded, biting her lip. Her robes fluttered behind her as she ran after the other first years who were talking energetically.

The whole way to the castle, Amelia could think of only one thing. What if she wasn't put in Slytherin?

It was an unrealistic worry. All of her ancestors on both sides leading all the way back to the creation of Hogwarts had been placed in Slytherin. All of them were pureblood. Their goal and been singular from the very start: power.

But there was something itching at the back of her mind. Maybe that wasn't her goal. Maybe she didn't want the spotlight shining down on her. She wasn't clever or resourceful. Her anxiety had always been problematic and kept her from performing like a typical Malfoy.

The first years were greeted at a tall, oak door by a woman dressed in emerald robes. She was old, shown by her wrinkles and graying hair. She had a stern look on her face, but Amelia could see the kindness I her eyes.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. Follow me to the Great Hall."

The mass of students walked after their new teacher. Amelia was amazed at the huge building, so beautiful that she barely remembered what she was worried about before.

Until they walked into the Great Hall and saw all of the people watching them walk in. She looked down at the stone floor as they walked, too afraid to look at anyone's eyes.

Amelia stood anxiously with the other first years at the front of the Hall. Most of their expressions were very similar to hers: nervous.

There was so much riding on this moment. Amelia was running through everything she had ever been taught: Muggles and Muggle-born were scum. They had power, those who hadn't stolen it were supreme, they meant more in the grand scheme of things.

The old witch, Professor McGonagall, had started reading names off her long piece of parchment. None of them meant anything to Amelia besides the few who she recognized from her father's luxurious balls. All of them went into Slytherin.

Amelia was just convincing herself that only Purebloods should be taught magic when she heard her name being called.

"Malfoy, Amelia."

Her face burning, she started up to the stool. The Sorting Hat stared at her with a menacing glare. She tried to ignore the whispers. But she could hear them clearly.

"Draco has a sister?"

"Well we know where she's headed."

"I wonder if she's as vile as her brother."

Now, instead of thoughts of darkness, Amelia was simply trying not to cry. She wasn't those things. That's not who she was. It wasn't who she was going to be.

Amelia sat on the stool and looked out over the faces who were staring right back at her. She trembled as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

"Interesting." He hummed. "Very interesting. A Malfoy, but I see no lust for power. No cunning attitude. Raised in a Death Eater's house, yet no qualities of one. Timid. But loyal to your family. Kinder than the whole of your family. Patient with the help. I foresee much tolerance and fairness. I believe you are more suited for…"

Amelia shook her head. Anything but this.

"Hufflepuff!"

The Hufflepuff table clapped politely but seemed to be stunned with the rest of the Hall. Why wasn't she in Slytherin?

She ignored Draco's gaze as she clambered off the stool and walked over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Congratulations, Amelia. Welcome to our house." A tall boy with a kind face shook her hand, "I think you'll be very happy here."

"Thank you." Amelia said quietly.

She didn't pay attention to the rest of the sorting. Amelia simply stared down at her empty plate. She wouldn't be able to face Draco. He would be so disappointed. And her mother wouldn't even want to speak to her.

Her father.

She felt tears come to her eyes. Her father would disown her. A Malfoy not in Slytherin? It was unheard of. This would be the end of her.

Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, made a short speech. He captured the room with his elegant appearance. His eyes twinkled, his smile was charming. Even so, Amelia's mood remained as it was. She was completely unaffected by his enchanting words.

The feast that appeared on their plates was scarcely touched. Just the thought of food made her stomach churn.

The boy who greeted her eyed her several times during the dinner. She hoped he was thinking about something else and he was only looking at her while he thought. Then again, whenever she gave him a furtive glance, he would return it with a kind grin.

Then they were sent to bed. The boy jumped up and shouted, "First years, follow me. I'll she you to the dormitory."

So he was one of the house prefects. That was not good.

Amelia trailed behind and allowed herself to be at the back of the pack. Draco was shoving his way through students. He looked desperate to reach her.

He pulled her into a hug, gripping her tightly. "Don't worry." He said, "Father will not stand for this. He'll get you into the right house. That daft hat doesn't know anything anyway. It's just this night. Tomorrow you'll be with me."

"I'm sorry, Draco." Amelia said, I've let you and Mother and Father down."

"Don't say that, Amelia. It's not your fault. You're perfect. These things happen."

"Amelia." It was the boy, "Time to go."

"We're talking." Draco said sharply, "Give us a minute"

"Draco, it's okay. I can go. I'll be fine for tonight. As long as I'm where I belong tomorrow."

He smiled at her and hugged her again, "You will be. Goodnight, 'Melia."

She watched him as she ran after the boy who was still waiting for her. He didn't leave from his place until he saw her round the corner and they could no longer see each other.

"Your brother is wrong." The boy said as they walked.

"How?"

"There's nothing that can be done about your sorting. I know it's expected that you end up in Slytherin, but don't you think not being in it means something? There's something special about you."

"How do you know?"

He smiled, "I know things like this. You don't have to worry about people judging you here. You'll find we Hufflepuffs are very open-minded."

Amelia forced on a smile, "Thank you."

"I'm Jude Walters. Fifth year. If you ever need help, call me."

"Got it."

"You don't say much."

"No. I don't."

"That's okay. There's nothing wrong with being quiet. That's what makes you who you are, right?"

"I guess."

"You don't just guess, you know." Jude said cheerfully.

They came to a small door, engraved with pictures of badgers. He knocked three times and it swung open.

"The other houses have passwords but we find that to be a little untrustworthy. All we use are simple knocking patterns. Who's going to bother us?"

The common room was one of the warmest places she had ever been in. A fire crackled in the fireplace, fat couches sat all around the circular room. Everything was vaguely shaped like a mushroom. There were plenty of people milling around, talking t other friends. Amelia had her eye on an isolated chair right by a window.

Nice, right?"

"Yeah." Amelia was hesitant to admit that she preferred this over the cold dungeons where the Slytherin common room was located.

"The girls' dormitories are through that door." Jude said, "Alice should be in there to tell you where the first years are sleeping. See you in the morning, Amelia!"

It took a lot to convince Amelia to go into the dormitory. One of these was that there were people still in the common room and they were eyeing her like she might need some help. The last thing she wanted was to have someone talk to her so she scurried through the door and slammed it behind her.

She walked into a smaller common room with only two couches and a bathroom. Girls were bustling in and out. A narrow spiral staircase led upstairs.

"Hi there." A girl with brunette curls and freckles covering her cheeks greeted her with a smile, "You're Amelia, right?"

She nodded.

"I'm Alice. I'll show you where the first years are staying."

Amelia was led up the stairs. They passed two stories of doors revealing bedrooms until they came to one that was quieter than the others. Amelia looked in and saw several girls silently putting their belongings away in individual wardrobes.

"It may seem daunting at first. But you'll become friends soon. Trust me. Have a good night, Amelia." Alice said before going down the stairs.

Amelia looked back in the room. She desperately wanted to go in, to get comfortable. But she also desperately wanted to run back down the stairs, out of the dormitory and into the loving arms of her brother. She closed her eyes and made a decision. Then she took a deep breath and walked in.


	3. Chapter Three: Adjustment

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Three: Adjustment**

The other first year Hufflepuffs were much too social for Amelia's liking. While she sat uncomfortably on her new bed, they talked to each other, getting to know their new roommates.

Amelia found this was pointless since later that day, she'd be in the dungeons with her brother, where she belonged.

Still, she listened, curious as to who each of them were and what their stories were. They were a bit like the characters in the stories she loved so dearly. Later, maybe she could pretend that she was friends with them and she would send them on adventures.

One of the first girls to introduce herself was a tanned girl with dark hair. She had pretty brown eyes that sparkled when she spoke. Her name was Carmen Montoya, a half-blood from Spain.

"I moved to England three years ago when my parents decided they didn't want my sister to go to the wizarding school there. It's not nearly as good as Hogwarts. Even my mother, who's a Muggle, knew that. My sister got sorted into Ravenclaw and likes to throw it in my face by saying she's 'the smart one'."

"Typical sisters." said a girl with bouncy auburn hair, "My oldest sister acts the same way. You should've seen her face when she found out I was a witch. She cried for days. I'm Joyce, by the way, Joyce Rushford. Both my parents are non-magical, Muggles, I guess. I'm the youngest of five girls."

Another girl laughed loudly, "That must be nice. I've got all brothers." Her accent was rough, Scottish. It would have made Amelia's father cringe. "But we're all magical and we're all nothing special. There's nothing to throw in no one's faces."

"What's your name?" asked Carmen, who seemed to be wincing at the Scottish girl's loud voice.

"I'm Daniella Turner. Ma and Da are magic folk, if you were wondering. It's not a huge surprise I ended up here, since half my family has. The other half is pure-bred Gryffindor."

Joyce muttered under her breath, but Amelia could hear, "I wonder if we can trade them."

The last girl, Violet Parrish, explained in a very eloquent way that she was also a half-blood, the daughter of the Ancient Runes professor at Hogwarts and a university professor of History at Cambridge. Amelia was very impressed with her way of behaving. Her mother would have loved her.

"What about you?"

Amelia looked up. All four of the girls were looking at her expectantly.

"Well?" Joyce said, "Aren't you going to tell us about yourself?"

"I-I'm Amelia." Amelia finally mustered out. "Amelia Malfoy."

Recognition dawned in Daniella's face. "I've heard that name before. My brother's told me all about Draco."

Amelia looked down at her hands.

"I thought all Malfoys went to Slytherin." Carmen said, "What happened with you."

Fresh tears formed in Amelia's eyes, "I don't know."

She wanted to scream at them, to throw a tantrum and cry. But that would have been unladylike. If her mother ever found out, she would wildly disapprove.

The other girls exchanged unsure looks before continuing their own conversation. This was good. They didn't care about her. They wouldn't miss her when she was gone.

Amelia silently left the room, swishing her school robes behind her, and made for the Great Hall.

It was a short walk, as the Hufflepuff House was located just around the corner from the Great Hall. Amelia searched the Slytherin table for her brother, hoping with all her might that he would have news for her.

She saw him looking sadly down at his breakfast, poking at it like it was the most unappetizing thing he had ever seen. His friends surrounded him, trying to get him to lighten up. But the look on his face remained stony. Then, as if he felt her gaze on him, he looked up right at her.

Amelia smiled at him and gave him a small wave, so as not to attract too much attention to herself. But instead of looking pleased to see her, Draco's face grew pale.

Confused, Amelia went to sit with the other Hufflepuffs. She took a seat a little ways away from everyone else. She cautiously looked at the food and picked out what she could stand.

She was halfway through her meal when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw a chubby woman with wild, curly hair looking down at her.

"Are you Miss Amelia Malfoy?"

Amelia swallowed her food. "Y-yes."

"Wonderful! I'm Professor Sprout, the head of house for Hufflepuff. I teach Herbology, which you'll have tomorrow. I have your schedule right here. It may seem like a lot to remember but you'll learn it soon enough."

Amelia scanned the schedule quickly, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the immensity of it. She was already terrified of Friday afternoon, when they'd have their first flying lesson with Ravenclaw. That is, of course, if Draco hadn't managed to get her back by then.

"Thank you." She said quietly, then looked back down at her plate.

Professor Sprout stood there for just a moment longer before moving down the table to where some older students were chatting away the morning.

"Amelia."

Draco startled her. He was sitting beside her at the table, still looking unnaturally pale.

"Oh, Draco! Have you heard from Father?"

"I wrote to him immediately last night. This morning I received a reply. He says he is disappointed you didn't end up in Slytherin but he's not angry. He says there's nothing he can do to change your house. The Sorting Hat's word is final."

Amelia started to cry, "But I don't want to be in Hufflepuff. You've said yourself that it's full of duffers!"

"You're not a duffer!" Draco said, defensively, "That was stupid of me to say. Hufflepuff is fine. I just wish you were with me. I could protect you much more easily there."

She sniffled, "There's nothing to protect me from. Everything is peace and love over here."

Draco raised his eyebrows, "That sounds a lot like you. Maybe the Sorting Hat made the right choice after all."

"Don't say that." Amelia said, "I would take ambition and cunning over honesty any day if it meant I could be in your house."

"You're being silly." Draco said. A bell rang throughout the castle. "We've got to go. Our first class starts soon. Where's your schedule?" Amelia handed him the piece of parchment, "You have Lockhart first, I see. Lucky dog. I'll show you to the Defense classroom since it's close to Potions."

Amelia was glad of this. Without Draco, she would have gotten lost in the castle so easily and probably wouldn't have been found until the end of the year.

On their way to the classroom, a few people looked at them strangely. Draco didn't seem to notice but Amelia did. Their hateful glares stabbed into her, until she realized that they weren't directed at her.

Finally, they stopped outside a tall door. She recognized the first years from her house sitting among the desks, talking to one another. There were other people in there as well that she did not recognize.

"You have Defense with Slytherin. Blaise's younger brother is in there. Have fun and good luck." He took a quick glance around before planting a small kiss on her forehead.

"Bye, Draco." Amelia said quietly before sneaking into the room.

The room was huge, with cages filled with various creatures. Diagrams covered the stone walls and books littered the floor. At the head of the room was a tall man with thick blonde hair. He was looking at himself in a mirror and was doing what looked like practicing speaking. It was all very strange and startled Amelia into sitting beside Daniella.

"There you are! I didn't see you at breakfast."

"I sat by myself." Amelia said quietly.

Daniella continued as if she hadn't spoken, "I'm nervous for this, I am. No one in my family is good at Defense. What about yours?"

"They're okay." She replied, looking down at her desk.

Before Daniella could respond, the blonde man cleared his throat and stood up abruptly.

"Good morning, pupils! I am Gilderoy Lockhart, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. This year we will delve into places that have so far been left covered for generations. You will learn more about the concentrated art of defense than you would have ever thought imaginable. All of this you will learn from me, a certified master in protecting the innocent from the evil."

Amelia wasn't sure what to think. Surely this Professor Lockhart had to be joking. She had read nearly all of his books and none of them seemed accurate. He seemed like a fool in both writing and real life.

But there had to be some truth to what he said. If he was a liar and completely incompetent, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have entrusted him to be around young students.

"If you would please open my book, Break with a Banshee, to page three, you will find a forward. You should read this to yourselves before moving on to chapter one. I would like you all to write a short response to the introduction of my tale. This will be due at the next lesson. For now, we will discuss my journeys with a question answer session."

Immediately dozens of hands shot up. Amelia listened half-heartedly, not really taking this lesson seriously. Instead, she snuck one of her favorite guilty pleasures, Sense and Sensibility, onto her desk. She had read it multiple times but it never seemed to stop entertaining her. She had to do this in secret, of course. If her father or mother discovered that she was reading Muggle literature, they would have her head.

She read hungrily, not keeping track of the time. It was easy to lose herself in the story that she cherished so deeply.

Amelia probably would have stayed there forever had a finger not poked her sharply in the shoulder.

"You're going to make us late." Daniella said, "I would hate to be late to Transfiguration, that's the class I'm looking forward to the most."

She looked up at her in alarm, "Oh! When did class let out?"

"About ten minutes ago. I didn't think it would be very kind to leave you here all by yourself. And he wouldn't notice anything." She nodded in Professor Lockhart's direction. He had returned to his mirror.

"Thank you." Amelia blushed.

Daniella rolled her eyes, "Forget it. Let's get moving though."

Amelia gathered up her things and scrambled out of her chair. She and Daniella walked swiftly through the large corridors until they came to the Transfiguration classroom. Before they walked in, Daniella stopped her.

"Listen, I know you'd rather be in Slytherin with your brother. And I've noticed that you have a hard time talking to people. You're shy. You're probably going to have a hard time making friends."

"Thanks." Amelia said under her breath.

"You know what I mean." Daniella said, "I'm going to make it a little easier for you and be your first. Not because I feel an obligation to, but because I like you. Is that okay with you?"

She was hesitant. She wasn't keen on making friends. But she couldn't help the smile that erupted onto her lips. "I would like that."

"Good. I wouldn't have given you a choice anyway."


	4. Chapter Four: Routine

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Four: Routine**

Amelia had been at Hogwarts for about a month and a half. She had found herself a very comfortable niche within the Hufflepuff house, one that was simple and quiet. That is, except her new friend, Daniella.

Daniella, too, had made a name for herself. She was quickly learned to be the bravest Hufflepuff any of them had ever met. She was quick to stand up to any bullies that antagonized them and to cheer up Amelia when she noticed she was feeling low.

One of Amelia's favorite classes was Herbology. Not only because of the kind teacher, who seemed to like her, but the mere subject was fascinating enough. When she had the time, she would sneak off to the library by herself and look through the vast section on magical plants.

Amelia learned that she enjoyed walking from classes from herself. During class she was content with Daniella's companionship, but this was treasured alone-time. Everyday, she greeted her favorite portraits and they gave her words of encouragement, which she appreciated greatly.

It was because of this that she took extra time after each class ended to pack her things, waiting for all of her classmates to file out and go their separate ways before she followed suit.

The first years Hufflepuffs had Herbology as their final class on Fridays. Amelia found this was a great way to end the seemingly endless week. Once the class ended, she was able to take her time and start her unwinding process.

Following her typical Friday procedure, Amelia took her time packing up her school things once Herbology ended. She quietly watched Professor Sprout start to clean up the mess from class, muttering to herself.

Today, Amelia noticed that her class had left behind a particularly large mess. Some rambunctious Gryffindors had thrown around some dirt which was now caking the tables and windows. She would have felt terrible to leave her favorite teacher behind to clean it all up herself.

"Do you need any help, Professor?" She asked, mustering up her limited courage.

Professor Sprout smiled at her, "Why I would love your help, Miss Malfoy. I believe another one of my students will be coming to help out too. The more, the merrier."

Amelia nodded and began to silently sweep the dirt into the giant pot at the end of the work table. She knew Professor Sprout reused everything. Nothing would be thrown away.

They finished the first green house quicker than Amelia expected and moved on to the next one, which had housed the second year lessons of the day. Amelia decided she liked this type of hard work, it kept her distracted from the thoughts in her head.

"Professor?" A baby-faced boy awkwardly walked into the greenhouse.

"Ah! Mr. Longbottom! I was wondering where you'd gone off to. Ready to help?"

"Yes, m'am." The boy, Longbottom, started helping t pick up the trimmings.

"Have you two met?" Professor Sprout asked

Amelia and the boy's eyes connected momentarily but both looked away quickly.

"No." Amelia said softly.

"Mr. Longbottom, this is Amelia Malfoy. Amelia, this is Neville Longbottom."

Amelia knew that name. She had heard it multiple times from her brother and his friends. She saw him recognize her last name too. He grew tense and didn't look at her as he worked.

Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, "I'll be back. You too keep working."

When she was gone, Amelia felt as though the room had grown ten degrees colder. She was hopeful that she wouldn't have to speak to him. But somehow, he mustered the bravery to talk to her.

"I didn't know Draco had a sister." He didn't look at her. But she looked at him nervously. "But I guess I wouldn't know. We're not really friends."

The thought almost made Amelia laugh. Her brother wouldn't be caught dead hanging around with Neville. The two of them being friends was preposterous.

"Does he talk about me?"

"Sometimes." Amelia's voice was so quiet, she was afraid she would have to repeat herself

"So you know about me then?"

"I," Amelia started, but she was afraid to finish, "I've heard my brother's opinions of you. But since I haven't met you myself, nothing he said was valid to me."

Neville's face brightened, "Oh. I didn't realize… I thought it was strange that you were put into Hufflepuff when your brother is-"

"Very Slytherin. I know." Amelia said, a small smile coming to her lips.

"Anyway, I thought that was some sort of mistake. I was afraid you were a lot like him."

Amelia's smile faltered, "He is still my brother. I still love him. Just because he's in a different house than me doesn't mean I'm not a Malfoy."

Neville's face burned red, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just meant that you're different is all."

Before Amelia could respond, Professor Sprout came back into the greenhouse.

"You should go on, Miss Malfoy. Hufflepuff prefects are gathering all you first years up for a meeting. I wouldn't want you to be late. Hurry along now."

Amelia quickly glanced at Neville, who wasn't looking at her, before running to grab her own things from the greenhouse and starting for the common room.

When she arrived, she was pleased to see that it hadn't started yet, meaning she could slip into the common room without notice.

Finally, the seventh year prefect, Christian, called everyone to attention and asked them to take a seat. The common room was so large and hospitable, that there were plenty of seats to accommodate all of the first years of prefects.

"Now that we're quiet, I hope you all have been doing well adjusting to your new lifestyle. I know it can be quite intimidating at first but it doesn't take long to develop a routine. We're going to have these sessions throughout the year just to check up on how you're doing and to take care of you. We don't want you to suffer in silence. We're here to help. Does anyone have any questions so far?" He looked around momentarily before continuing, "Henrietta, would you mind taking over?"

Henrietta was Christian's counterpart, as well as that year's Head Girl. "For a few years now, we've had a buddy system between firsts years, perfects, and upperclassmen. We've assigned each of you to an older student who is going to be your personal confidant throughout the year. They'll help you navigate through the school, study for exams, and answer any questions you might have."

Amelia curled her toes. She didn't want a confidant. She was perfectly fine with just Daniella.

"This list," Henrietta continued as a prefect posted a piece of parchment on the announcement board, "is the list of pairings we've all agreed on. After the meeting feel free to check it out and introduce yourself to your buddy at dinner. That's all for today."

As soon as she finished speaking, every single one of the first years piled in front of the list. Amelia hesitantly scooted towards it.

"Don't bother looking." A voice said from behind her, "I'm your buddy." She turned to see Jude Walters smiling down at her. "I made sure of it."

"Why?"

"I figured because we already knew each other, it wouldn't be as uncomfortable for you. I know how rough it is to make friends. I was just like you when I came to Hogwarts. But after a while, I gained more friends and felt more welcome here than I ever thought was possible."

"I have a friend." Amelia mumbled.

Jude grinned, "That's great! You're half-way there!"

Amelia couldn't help but smile. Jude's happiness was infectious. "I must admit that things haven't been as horrible as I first imagined."

"Brilliant!"

Daniella came running up beside her, "Amelia, let's go up to the dormitory and work on homework before dinner. I think Violet's going to let us copy her Charms."

"Isn't that cheating?"

Jude laughed, "She's such a Hufflepuff, isn't she? Far more honest than the rest of us, eh Daniella?"

Amelia blushed and stumbled with her words, "Weren't we going upstairs?" Without waiting for a reply, she scuttled up the stairs to the dormitory. Her face felt unnaturally warm and her breathing was labored.

This was not a new experience for her. Back home, whenever she'd been the center of attention for longer than she wanted to, she would seize up and shut down. Amelia hated this part of herself, and wished that she could be anything but this way.

She quickly wiped at her eyes and steadied herself. The last thing she wanted was for Daniella or anyone else to see her like this. Because although she wasn't strong enough to change who she was, she was strong enough to cover it up.


	5. Chapter Five: Hauntings

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Five: Hauntings**

In October 31st, 1992, Amelia made her first formal friend. This formation was quite unlike the one made with Daniella, which was frankly, mostly contractual. This friendship slipped through the wall Amelia had built around herself. Yet, somehow, it ended up meaning more to her than anything else.

After the school day, she went straight to the greenhouses to help Professor Sprout clean them. She was glad for the separation from the rest of the school, as she despised the bustle that came with the end of the day.

She never knew what to do. If she remained in her dormitory with a book in her hand, she would be viewed as standoffish and unapproachable. If she went down to the common room, she would only sit uncomfortably by someone that she barely knew, not talking to anyone and wishing she was someplace quieter.

This way, she would seem busy as well as get her peace.

Unfortunately, she was always accompanied by Neville Longbottom. Not that she didn't like him. But since their first meeting, she didn't know what to say to him. Professor Sprout talked enough to drown out the insufferable tension between them.

However, on Halloween night, Professor Sprout was at the feast. Amelia had decided to opt out because there were going to be so many people there. To her surprise, so had Neville. They worked in perfect silence, but still provided the limited company each one needed.

Amelia was still quite scared to open her mouth. If Neville had been the target of her brother's bullying, it would only make sense for him to crave retaliation. She was the optimal sitting target.

When the day had grown dark and the greenhouses were perfectly tidy, Amelia made a move to gather her school things and head back to her common room. But she was stopped when Neville coughed and he spoke.

"Do you like Herbology?"

Amelia wasn't sure what to say. It could be a simple question. But there also could be a lot more.

"I-I do. It's not my favorite class but I enjoy it. Professor Sprout is lovely."

Neville smiled, "It's my favorite by far. I'm not too good at magic so I'm hopeless at Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I can never seem to remember the dates for History of magic but this is where I thrive. Sometimes I think I'm even better than Hermione Granger."

Amelia had heard that name before but she couldn't match it with a face. She said nothing.

"This may seem really strange." Neville said, "I just started talking to you out of the blue, after all. But I know what it's like to be uncomfortable around others and I know what it's like to be a misfit. I don't belong in Gryffindor by any means and you say you belong in Slytherin. I think we're quite a like."

"You're not angry at me?" Amelia asked suddenly, "My brother has all but ruined your life. Don't you hate me?"

"Well, you're not Draco are you?"

"No."

"Then there's nothing to hold against you."

Amelia felt warmth spread through her chest. For the second time since she'd been here, she'd been associated with no one besides herself. She smiled at Neville and he smiled right back at her. His teeth were lopsided and his hair was outrageously messy, making him look altogether ridiculous.

Amelia was content with spending the rest of the evening in the greenhouses with her new friend. He was happy to tell her all about the plants she didn't know about. He went on and on about his current favorite, Mandrakes.

"They're superb! Right now they're only babies but in a few months, they'll be fully grown.

When you pull them up from the dirt, they start to scream. Since they're young, the most they can do is knock you out for a couple hours. Later they can kill."

Amelia stared at the plant with wide eyes. "What could they possibly be used for?"

"Petrification cases, mostly. They use them in the Ministry a lot. When a dark wizard is petrified, they use the cry of a Mandrake to wake him up and get the truth out of him."

"Wow." Amelia's fingers brushed the leaves.

Neville stifled a yawn, "I better get back to the common room. I've got early classes tomorrow.

Would you like me to walk you to yours?"

Amelia blushed, "If you wouldn't mind." The castle scared her at night, but she wasn't about to admit that to him.

They set off for the Hufflepuff common room happily. They had each managed one new friend, for which each was grateful. Amelia was starting to believe things at Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad.

Until they saw it.

Three people stood around something. One of them she recognized as Harry Potter. The other two she didn't know. From the other direction, the whole student body was coming from dinner. They stopped in their tracks. The three backed away slowly, revealing a stiff cat, eyes wide open, lying in a puddle of water.

Amelia could see her brother pushing through the crowd. He looked up and grinned, "Enemies of the heir beware? You better watch out, Mudbloods."

Everyone turned their eyes to the wall. Amelia gasped when she read the horrifying message.

 _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened_

 _Enemies of the heir beware_

She felt her blood run cold. She had heard her father discuss the Chamber of Secrets recently. In all of the meetings he had with his friends, that was a common topic.

Draco looked at her from across the corridor. He glanced at Neville but then did a double take, his mouth hung open. Before he could ask her what she was doing, Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts, pushed through the students. He saw the cat almost immediately.

"You've killed Mrs. Norris! This is it, Potter. You're sure to be expelled now."

"I-I didn't-"

"Don't lie!"

"Mr. Filch!" Professor McGonagall said, coming up from behind Amelia. "That will be enough. All students are to go to your dormitories at once. You three," she said, looking severely at the trio, "come with me to Professor Dumbledore's office."

Amelia said a hurried goodbye to Neville before rushing to the Hufflepuff dormitory. Already, it was packed with gossiping students. She ignored them and went straight up to her bed. As she lay there, she shivered and tried to stop herself from crying. What she had just seen was terrible. Between the dead cat, message written in blood, and the awful way her brother looked at her, Amelia's day had quickly gone from pleasant to nightmarish.

Daniella and the rest of the girls came up about an hour later. Amelia lay in her bed, pretending to be asleep. She wasn't in the mood to talk to them. She was already exhausted enough.

But when she closed her eyes, she found that her mind wasn't ready to stop whirling. Faces and thoughts kept weighing down on her, keeping her wide awake.

She let out a breath and stared at the ceiling of the canopy. When she got too overwhelmed like this, she liked to countdown from ten until she felt better, or in this case, until she fell asleep.

 _10_

 _9_

It wasn't good that she was getting comfortable in Hufflepuff. Her father would not approve. She was going to have a lot to answer for when she and her brother went home for Christmas. First he would ask her why she wasn't good enough to get into Slytherin. Then he would wonder why she wasn't trying harder to leave Hufflepuff and get into the house of their ancestors. He would determine she wasn't good enough. She would cry and escape to her room where her mother would soon join her and tell her to keep her chin up.

 _8_

 _7_

These were not the types of friends she should have been making. She should have been thinking about this carefully, analyzing each person until she understood them completely. That's what her brother did. Now he had plenty of friends that were useful to him. They would help him get to a position of power. She didn't choose anyone for anything. It just happened.

 _6_

 _5_

What was wrong with her? Why wasn't she like the rest of her family? It would have made things a lot easier if she were. She wouldn't have to deal with crippling anxiety every time she spoke to someone. She would be cleverer and more charming. Maybe she wouldn't be a disappointment.

 _4_

 _3_

She was just going to have to make do. She was patient and could wait for things to get better. Change was going to happen. She was going to grow into the perfect Malfoy child. Then everything would be better. It would happen.

 _2_

 _1_

All she had to do was wait.


	6. Chapter Six: Dueling

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Six: Dueling**

Amelia very seldom allowed herself to enjoy the few things that brought her pleasure. Either she was too busy or she felt like it was undeserved. But today she was in a good mood.

She had finished all of her assignments ahead of time, which was a rare occurrence. Normally, she procrastinated until the last possible minute and stayed up until the early hours of the morning finishing her work.

Amelia didn't even procrastinate with things she liked. Most of the time, she just stayed in the common room, watching her House-mates or she was in the greenhouses, helping professor Sprout with whatever odd job she had for her.

But this was a day that was all for her. None of the other first year girls were in the dormitory. So she was able to write a nice, long letter to her mother without being eyed by the more judgmental of her roommates.

She shifted through the few belongings she had yet to remove from her trunk. One of the items brought her great delight. Beneath a pair of wool gloves that one of the house elves had made for her before she left, was her favorite book, _Sense and Sensibility_. No one in her family knew she owned this book, of course, Muggle literature was considered childish and dull to her father and all the purebloods who were stuck in their old fashioned ways.

Amelia had found the book in a visit to Diagon Alley the year before when her brother was buying his first year books. She had her own pocket change and had purchased the book without her father knowing.

It took her only one day to finish the book and by the end of the week, she had read it twice more. She would have read other Muggle books, but she never found the time to get anything else.

She had just settled down and began the next chapter when Daniella came rushing in.

"Amelia, your brother is in the common room. He wants to speak to you."

Slightly irritated, Amelia set down her book and went downstairs to see what her brother had bothered to come to the Hufflepuff common room for. She knew that he would never be caught dead in there.

"Draco?" Amelia asked as she descended the stairs, "What are you doing here?"

He looked up at her and smiled, "I thought we would go to the dueling club together. First years aren't allowed to participate, but you could watch and learn. There's nothing wrong with that."

"You should go." Daniella interrupted, "I'm going with my brothers."

Draco glared at her momentarily before continuing. "Besides, Father told me to make you go. He's going to be expecting a report from both of us. I think Professor Snape will be there as well and you know how often they write each other."

Amelia didn't want to get on Professor Snape's bad side. He terrified her and had ever since she first met him five years ago.

"Okay, I'll go."

"Excellent! I can't wait to rub my talent in Potter's face. He's going to never want to mess with me."

"Yeah, of course." She answered monotonously. Draco's skills were more mediocre than talent but he was anxious to show them off anyway and Amelia wasn't about to stop him.

The situation was slightly alleviated by that fact that Daniella was going with her older brothers and Neville would be there too, he told her so one afternoon while helping Professor Sprout. Even if she couldn't stand by them, for fear of ridicule and judgement from her brother, they would at least be able to provide moral support. They both knew how afraid she was of the Slytherins whom Draco called his friends.

"Come on, Mel, it's going to be great." He told her as they walked shoulder to shoulder. "I guess, if you get bored, you can read that book of yours."

Amelia knew that's what she would be doing. Dueling was the least of her concerns.

"Draco, your friends are going to laugh at me. They think I'm weird."

"They don't think you're weird. They may think you're bookish but that's the extent of it. We don't talk about you at all. Sometimes," he chuckled, "sometimes I think they forget you exist."

It was supposed to be a joke, evident in the way Draco was laughing, but Amelia felt it sting her. It only proved the fact that she wasn't worth mentioning in regular conversation. Not that she minded this, the less attention on her, the better.

When they entered the Great Hall, there were already many students gathered around Professor Lockhart and Professor Snape. Draco ran ahead and joined his friends while Amelia stayed behind to sit with Daniella. She was talking rapidly with a boy whom Amelia assumed was one of her brothers.

"There you are!" Daniella cried, "Travis this is Amelia. Amelia, this is my oldest brother. He's a sixth year right now."

"Hello, Amelia." Travis said, holding out his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

Amelia shyly shook his hand. He was very handsome and tall, towering high above nearly everyone else in the room. His Scottish accent was thick, much thicker than Daniella's, but he had an elegant way of speaking, like he was trained to be a purebred gentleman. Amelia could imagine him becoming a prominent man in the Ministry who worked alongside her father.

The room was called to attention by Professor Lockhart who made a few announcements before demonstrating a few of the techniques and spells that they would be using during that lesson. Then, Professor Snape, in all his horrifying glory, began circling the room and pairing people up for practice.

When he came to them, he looked down at Amelia with an odd look.

"Miss Malfoy. What's a first year like you doing in here? You too Miss Turner."

"My sister's with me, Professor." Draco said, "I thought it would do her well to learn a thing or two about real dueling. The ridiculous load of garbage we learn in class isn't enough."

Professor Snape's face twisted into a smile, "Indeed. And you, Mr. Turner, I presume you brought your sister here for the same reason as Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes, sir." Travis replied, "Although, she's had to grow up with older brothers all her life, she's tough enough without magic."

"She still has much to learn, regardless." Professor Snape said, "Why don't you join Miss Clearwater across the room and Malfoy you can follow me. You ladies stay right where you are. I don't want to see you getting involved in magic that is beyond your understanding."

When he walked away, Daniella huffed, "What a load of tripe! I can handle myself against some second year. They don't scare me." She started to pull out her wand but Amelia stopped her.

"Don't. What if Professor Snape sees you? You'll be given detention."

"What's the fuss? I'm given detention loads. One more time won't hurt." Daniella flashed a grin before running off to join her brother in his duel. Amelia was alone.

She didn't enjoy the shouts of battle or the glares that were sent from person to person across the room. She hated the way her brother sent attack after attack at harry Potter, who was defending himself and shooting back curses that were just as malicious.

Even Neville, who had admitted to her that he wasn't any good with a wand, was dueling. His posture was crooked and his technique sloppy and every word that came out of his mouth was a stutter.

She finally had enough and covered her ears, running out of the Great Hall to a place that was quiet so she could read her book. That was all she wanted. What was wrong with that?

Amelia smiled at Madame Pince as she wandered into the library. The usually crotchety old woman smiled back at her and suggested a secluded spot in the back of the library. When she asked what brought Amelia to the library and she held up her book, Madame Pince gasped.

"Are you interested in Muggle literature?"

"Yes, M'am." Amelia replied shyly.

The old librarian hurried around her desk to lead Amelia to a tall shelf beside the restricted section. "This is our collection. It's small, but I always have advisors from the Muggle-born students suggest additions. This may be something to look into, Miss Malfoy."

"Thank you." Amelia breathed, "This is wonderful."

She didn't hear Madame Pince leave her to explore this newfound section on her own. Amelia's fingers brushed over the dusty spins and read the titles of each and every one of the boos. It was at that moment that she decided she was going to read every book on the shelf, even if it killed her.

With a small smile on her face, she picked up a worn out copy of a book titled, _The Great Gatsby_. She picked a cushy chair placed right by a large window and opened it, hungrily reading the carefully scripted story. She hardly noticed the time passing until she felt a warm hand clasp her shoulder. Amelia looked up and saw that the sun had set and her stomach was rumbling.

"Have you been here this whole time?" Neville asked, a gentle grin on his face. "I didn't see you after the introduction."

"I was dragged along by my brother." Amelia said, "I didn't really want to go. It was easy to sneak away once he started ignoring me."

"What are you reading?"

Amelia showed him and he nodded, somewhat interested. "It's a Muggle book."

"Oh. Do you like those? I think my gran has some in our attic somewhere. She says my mum read them a lot whenever my parents stayed there. I can show you sometime, if you want."

"Sure." Amelia replied, blushing.

"Do you want to go to the greenhouses? I think Professor Sprout got a new shipment of Mandrakes in this morning. She said I could help her repot them."

Her face brightened, "That sounds great."

She quickly checked out her new book and followed Neville out of the library and down the long corridor to the greenhouses. As they passed the Great Hall, Draco and the other Slytherins were coming out. Neville didn't notice because he was deep in conversation with Amelia, but she noticed. She saw the dark glare Draco sent their way and heard the awed exclamations from his friends.

Amelia decided to pretend she hadn't seen them talked to Neville about the Mandrakes excitedly. But she knew she couldn't ignore this forever. Sooner or later, she and Draco would be having a conversation.


	7. Chapter Seven: Christmas

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Seven: Christmas**

Amelia was glad to be leaving Hogwarts. She was anxious to be relieved of the constant state of fear she had been living in since first Justin Finch-Fletchley, a boy in her House, then Colin Creevy, a Gryffindor boy in her year, had been found petrified. They were staying in the hospital wing for now while Professor Sprout hurried to prepare the cure for their state with her collection of Mandrakes.

The last few weeks had been dreadful for Amelia. She was certain that every time she turned a corner, whatever was petrifying the others, would get her. Luckily, she hadn't been caught yet and her brother assured her that it was only going after Muggleborn students.

This did very little to sooth Amelia's nerves so Draco asked their parents if they could return home for Christmas even though they had planned on remaining at school.

Amelia wasn't completely happy until they arrived at home. Seeing the Manor sitting on top of the large snowy hill, brought her delight.

On Christmas Eve, the entire family went to Diagon Alley to shop for gifts for each other. And when they returned home, they sat by a roaring fire exchanging stories. It made Amelia feel warm. She didn't even remember going to bed or going up to her bedroom. But somehow, the next morning that's where she was.

Amelia bound out of her bed and looked out the window. It had snowed overnight, adding more snow to the large lawn.

A knock on her door startled her. She went to answer it while grabbing a cardigan off the back of her desk.

"Good morning, dear." Narcissa said when she opened the door, "Did you have a fitful sleep?"

"Yes, Mother." Amelia replied, pulling her cardigan over her shoulders.

"Wonderful! The house elves have prepared a breakfast for us this morning. Your father and Draco are waiting."

Amelia felt her heart beat pick up. Even though on the best of days, she was terrified of her father, she was bursting with joy at being with her family once again. Here, she could watch them interact, see the Malfoys that no one else ever saw, a somewhat warm and loving people.

The dining room table was laden with every kind of breakfast that made Amelia's stomach grumble with hunger. Her mother smiled as she scurried to an empty chair beside Draco and started filling her plate.

"Good morning, Father." She said.

"Amelia."

"Draco."

"Morning, Melia."

The table was quiet then as they ate their food. Amelia made a mental note to thank the house elves later for their great work. This would have to be done without the knowledge of her father, as Lucius disapproved of interacting or being friendly to the help.

"Master, would you like more food to be brought to the table?" Dobby, the smallest of all their elves asked.

"No, this is quite enough. Prepare a fire in the main room. We'll be opening gifts momentarily."

"Yes, sir." Dobby replied before apparating away.

Lucius wipe his lips with a napkin before looking appraisingly at his children once more. "Well, shall we move into the main room? Are we all finished with our meal?"

"Yes, Father." Draco and Amelia answered together.

When he stood, Amelia couldn't help but feel he was looming over them. He was an unstoppable and graceful force that anyone would be foolish to try to stop. She was proud to call him her father, he was someone who would protect her from what was truly harmful.

"Come on, Melia!" Draco said, rushing out of the room.

She couldn't help the smile that came to her mouth as she followed him out and into the beautifully decorated main room. Candles flickered all around, greenery brushed windowsills and doorways. In the middle of the room was a large tree, so large it nearly touched the ceiling. Tinsel hung from the wide branches and ornaments sparkled. Beneath the tree were the presents.

"I want to go first." Draco said, reaching for a package with his name written on it.

"Now now, Draco." Lucius scolded. "What happened to manners?"

Draco looked sheepishly at the floor, "Sorry. Amelia, would you like to go first? You could open my gift to you."

"That's alright, Draco." Amelia said, blushing, "You can go first. I think you'll enjoy my present to you."

He gave her a smile before reaching to the gift in question. Amelia only barely noticed her father's approving smile aimed in her direction. So far, this was a good day.

Her brother let out a joyful cry as he opened up the broom polishing kit that Amelia had bought for him.

"This is wonderful, Melia! Thank you! Open mine next."

He handed her a present that was crudely wrapped and labelled. Although she loved her brother very much, it wasn't hard to admit his crafting skills and handwriting were far from superior.

Amelia was slightly confused when she found a small bound book in her hand. It was title-less with a blank line on the front and the pages inside were completely empty save for more blank lines.

"It's a diary. Or notebook. For you to write your thoughts in. I know you have them even if you don't voice them. Now you have something to tell them to." Draco explained, watching her as if he was afraid she would hate it.

She felt small tears come to her eyes, "Thank you, Draco. I love it." She reached out to hug him tenderly.

The rest of the presents were open quickly and in an efficient manner. Lucius appreciated the consideration that went into his gift from his children, a new black cloak made of silk. Narcissa, too, loved her new pearl necklace, picked out especially by Amelia.

The largest, and probably most coveted of the presents was the elder Malfoy's gift to Amelia. He called in a house elf with a wave of his hand and when Dobby walked in, all were amazed at the sight of a small red panda being carried.

"For you, my dear. Draco has his owl, it's only fitting you have a pet of your own."

When the animal was placed in her arms carefully, Amelia had never felt more in love. "Oh, Father. It's wonderful."

"It's a boy. You may name him what you wish. I've already certified that you may bring him to school with you."

"Oh, thank you." She cried, "I shall love him forever."

Draco ran his hand over the red panda's soft fur. "What are you going to call him, Melia?"

Amelia held him up and looked him right in the eye, "I think I will call him Richard. He looks very elegant and kingly."

"A fine choice for a fine animal." Narcissa added, "He's gorgeous, my dear."

"Miss?" Dobby said quietly.

Lucius looked down at him disapprovingly, "What is it?"

"A-a package came for the young Miss Malfoy in the post. It was labelled as a Christmas present to her."

"Who would be sending you a gift?" Narcissa asked Amelia.

She blinked, "I'm not sure. Maybe a friend from school."

Dobby handed her the heavy package carefully before scurrying out of the room. With everyone's eyes on her, she read the name on the package.

 _To Amelia Malfoy_

 _From Neville Longbottom_

She cleared her throat and opened it. She was stunned at the sight of another novel by Jane Austen, _Emma_. Amelia smiled and opened the cover. Inside was an inscription written in tall, long letters.

 _To add to your collection. I'm sure they're more use to you than they are to me. Happy Christmas._

"What is it?" Draco asked.

Amelia blushed for the second time that day. "Just a book from my friend, Ne- Daniella. She's in my House in my year."

"I'm happy to see you're making friends." Narcissa said.

But Lucius was now looking at Amelia in disapproval. He knew she was covering something up, and in true Malfoy fashion, he would soon use that information against her.

Later, she and Draco sat quietly in the library reading. Richard was napping contently in her lap. She could feel Draco eyeing her but chose to not confront him about it. If he had something important to say, surely he would say it eventually.

And he did.

"Amelia?"

"Yes, Draco?"

"Why were you with Longbottom the night Mrs. Norris was found petrified?"

Amelia set down her book, "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. I want to know."

She didn't know what to say, "He's my friend. We were coming from the greenhouses."

"But why are you friends?"

"Because we both like Herbology and he's kind to me. What's wrong, Draco?"

Draco made a face, "Longbottom isn't someone you want to be friends with, Amelia. He's weak and pathetic. He's worthless."

"Don't say that. And he has a name. It's Neville. I don't see what's wrong with him."

"He's not…right."

"He's a pureblood. He's a wizard."

"He's in Gryffindor! How could you be friends with a brainless Gryffindor?"

"They're not brainless." Amelia stood up in a huff. "How do you expect to be treated with respect and not be judged because of your house when you do the same to everyone else? Neville is the bravest person I've ever met. And he's my friend so you'll just have to learn to be okay with that."

The doors too the library were flung open. Lucius glided in.

"What have I told you two about raising your voices in this house? Stop arguing at once!"

"Father, Amelia is friends with Longbottom."

He looked at her, "The Longbottom boy, eh? Seems fitting. You're both spineless. Get out. Go to your bedroom."

Amelia quickly picked up Richard and her new book and stormed to her room, hiding her tears. When she closed the door gently behind her, she started sobbing. She hadn't meant to raise her voice. The last thing she wanted was to be heard. But Neville was her friend and she wasn't going to stand for his name being slandered by someone who didn't know him at all.

She heard a pop, the sound of a house elf apparating into the room.

"Oh! Many apologies, Miss. I didn't mean to disturb you." It was Dobby.

"It's okay, Dobby. Just ignore me."

He eyed her carefully and started to make a fire in the fireplace. He worked silently until she finished crying.

"Do you know Harry Potter, Miss?"

"Only a little. And not very well. He's in my friend's house."

"Could you let him know to be careful? Tell him he's still in danger. If you say I told you this, he will understand."

Amelia was hardly in the right state of mind to question him so she nodded feebly. He left her without another word.

She lay down on her bed. She bit her lip anxiously and closed her eyes. As hot tears stung her soft face, she wished, for the first time ever, to not be at home any longer.


	8. Chapter Eight: Inspiration

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Eight: Inspiration**

Time stood still when Amelia was in the greenhouses. They were a temporary safe haven for her from the world. Plus, Neville was there and he was quickly raising up to be her closest companion.

The snow added extra work for her but she didn't mind. She loved caring for the plants, covering them with warm blankets or placing them under heaters.

Richard had grown very used to Hogwarts. He even enjoyed wandering around the common room on his own, finding small niches to curl up in and take a nap.

In many respects, Amelia found he acted just like a cat without all the shedding. He spent most of the day on his own but he always ended up leaping onto Amelia's bed at night to nuzzle himself into her arms. Richard was a great comfort to her.

Late in January, Professor Sprout came bustling in with Madame Pomfrey. Neville ad Amelia looked up, somewhat concerned. Had there been another attack?

"I'm afraid the Mandrakes aren't mature enough, Poppy. I've got my hands full with my classes. Any extra time I have is dedicated to grading papers or caring for my house."

The nurse sighed, "I'm getting a lot of pressure from the senators and the Minister to get those children unpetrified. I can't brush them off. Is there any chance they could be ready soon?"

"The soonest I can offer is at the end of April. And even then, you'd have to brew the bloody potion, pardon my language."

"Professor Sprout." Neville piped up, uncomfortably. "Do you need help? I'm sure Amelia and I could make it easier on you. We could do anything."

"I appreciate that, Mr. Longbottom. But I'm sure you and Miss Malfoy have better things to do more important classes to study for."

"No, I don't." Amelia said suddenly. "I have absolutely nothing."

Madame Pomfrey and Professor Sprout looked at each other before smiling and agreeing to their offer. Amelia was glad to help, to ease the heavy load on her favorite teacher's shoulders and to spend more time in the greenhouses with Neville.

When Amelia finally left the greenhouse, the sky had completely darkened. Amelia and Neville walked happily to the Great Hall where dinner was already waiting for them.

"That was fun." Amelia said.

"Who knew there was so much to Herbology?" Neville said, awe in his voice. His eyes were wide, which made Amelia want to laugh. "That's it."

"That's what?"

"I've decided what I'd like to do. When I graduate, I mean. I'd like to become the Herbology teacher. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed it and enjoyed learning and interacting with people in the greenhouses and the plants. I have you to thank, partially. Teaching you what I know about Herbology was just a reminder of what I love."

Amelia was blushing furiously. "Wow! That's really great, Neville. I'm glad."

Neville smiled down at her. Then, something seemed to dawn on him. "Did you get my gift? I sent it but I wasn't sure you'd get it."

"I got it." Amelia confirmed.

"And?" It amused her how hopeful he was. He was looking at her with wide eyes and a kind smile.

"I love it. I finished it in a day and a half." Amelia raved, "Thank you, Nev."

She froze. She had accidentally let her secret nickname for him slip.

"What?" He replied, laughing. "Is that what you call me?"

"No." Her face was flaming. Neville found it hilarious.

"I don't mind. I've never had a nickname before."

"It's dumb."

"No it's not. We're friends so we're allowed to have nicknames for each other. Would it make you feel better if I made one for you?"

Amelia nodded.

"Okay…like what?"

Amelia's face scrunched up. "Not Melia. My brother calls me that."

"Then that's a no. What about Mel? Short and simple."

"I like it." Amelia said, smiling. It's nice."

"I'm glad we could come to this decision. So, Mel, would you like to sit at the Gryffindor table tonight? I'm sure the others wouldn't mind."

"Th-that's alright. I think Daniella wanted to talk to me about something anyway."

Neville didn't see through her fib. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, then." He said, as he walked over to his friends.

Amelia stood in the doorway, watching him for just a moment before walking to the Hufflepuff table.

"There you are!" Daniella cried, "We were getting worried."

"Nothing to worry about." Amelia said with finality, "Just running a bit behind."

The other girls looked at each other in confusion before Violet said, "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're cheerful? You're never cheerful. Only mopey and somber."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are." The girls said together.

Amelia frowned and ignored them for the rest of dinner, looking only at her plate of delicious food.

The other girls found this most amusing and attempted to get her to break her ow f silence and standoffishness.

It wasn't until after dinner and right before she climbed into bed that they finally attacked her, pnning her onto the bed and tickling her sides.

Amelia couldn't help her wild giggles, a sound no one in the room had ever heard before.

"Wow!" Carmen said, "That's a sound I've ever heard before."

Amelia blushed, "Sorry, is it terrible?"

"No, it's great!" Joyce said, "It's always nice to have a good laugh and you've got one."

Amelia was too embarrassed to say anything else so she nodded sheepishly, straightened her pajamas and climbed into bed. When the curtains had been drawn around her, she let out a shaky breath and smiled.

The following night, she was bed-ridden because she was nearing the end of _Pride and Prejudice_ again, this being the second time she read it.

She felt herself tear up at the final words. These tears were far from sad, they were hopeful tears. Maybe one day, she would find a love as pure and passionate as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's.

When the book was complete, she closed it feeling satisfied, yet strangely incomplete, as if there was something she wanted to say but she just couldn't figure out how.

Suddenly, she remembered the diary that Draco had given her for Christmas. She pulled it out of her night stand and opened it. She was slightly disappointed in herself when she saw no writing in it whatsoever.

Taking one of her more beat-up quills, Amelia dipped it in ink and began writing. Her words were far from her own story, however, She knew that would make for a boring tale. These were her own imaginings, things she created in her mind.

Everything came out all at once and before she knew it, the clock was striking 1 AM and she had filled ten pages with her story.

Amelia rubbed her eyes sleepily and set the book aside, deciding not to read a word until the next day which she was sane.

Still, that night, as she dreamt, she saw visions of the story she had begun to create and her characters becoming more alive and more real with each unforgiving scene.

In the morning, when her head was clear, Amelia picked up the notebook and looked over her words. Some of it was illegible, mere scribbles from hurried writing, but most of it she could understand.

Her cheeks flushed as she realized that this was not the intended use for the notebook. Draco had wanted her to use it as a diary, something she could confide in without fear of judgement. She wanted to tear out the pages she had used to entertain a silly notion on and start from scratch. He wouldn't have to know that anything else had ever been in the notebook.

 _But why?_

A voice in her head whispered this to her.

 _Draco doesn't need to know everything about you. You are allowed to have secrets. There's nothing wrong with indulging in something that makes you happy._

The thought made Amelia's palms sweat. She had never kept a secret before. Even when she was young and had attempted to do something mischievous with her brother, their parents had caught them because her face had given it away.

But this was different. This was Draco. He trusted her. And she, him. Unless she did something truly unforgiveable, he wouldn't go to their father over something she did. He only told him about Neville because he was concerned. Surely, he wouldn't tell him about a story.

Amelia was still nervous as she set the notebook aside, leaving it as is. Her head was whirling and her stomach was growling. The other girls had already gone down to breakfast. She quickly got dressed in uniform and packed her school bag with the proper materials.

She was just about to leave the room when she stopped. Something didn't feel right. Her bag felt empty. She looked down at it before looking back over at her notebook. It sat there on her nightstand, waiting to be picked up by any of her room mates.

Amelia quickly picked it up and stuffed it into her bag. No one was going to read her writing. Not for a long time. Maybe not ever.


	9. Chapter Nine: Incidents

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Nine: Incidents**

Quidditch did not interest Amelia at all. She found no enjoyment in watching people fly around on brooms, throwing things at each other and getting hurt almost every time. Most of the time, she avoided matches by reading in the dormitory.

However, this time was different. Today, her father was coming with the other senators to discuss the current problematic situation that was raging within the school now. Amelia knew that if she wasn't seen in the pitch with the rest of the students, her father would start asking questions.

She joined her classmates on their long walk to the Quidditch pitch. Everyone was in a generally good mood, save for Joyce who had received word that her canary back at home had died just the other day. They were almost there when they were stopped by Professor McGonagall, who seemed on edge.

"The match has been cancelled. Please return to your dormitories at once so your Head of House can talk to you."

Her words put them all in a sour mood. Amelia was worried. If the match was cancelled, had there been another attack? If so, who was unfortunate enough to receive the blow this time?

Daniella and the other girls ran farther ahead of her. They seemed to have forgotten about her completely. Amelia had almost made it to the common room when she ran into Neville.

"Mel! Aren't you going to the match?"

"Didn't you hear?" She asked, "It was cancelled. Professor McGonagall wants everyone back in their proper dormitories."

Neville's face reddened, "My dormitory is half way across the school. I don't want to get in trouble. Do you think I'd be allowed to stay in Hufflepuff's until the coast is clear."

Amelia wasn't sure the coast would ever be clear but she smiled, "Sure. I don't think anyone would mind."

He followed after her the rest of the way to the dorm. He seemed surprised when she merely knocked a simple rhythm and the door swung open. Not many people turned to look her way, and the few that did glanced at Neville before continuing their conversations.

"This is far different from the Gryffindor common room." Neville said quietly.

"How so?" She asked, curiously.

He shrugged, "I'm not sure. It's not as warm, I suppose. Darker."

"I wouldn't know."

"What do you do for fun in here? Most people in Gryffindor play chess or work on homework together."

"That's not much different from what goes on in here. Perhaps a bit more socialization. I tend to stay in my bed, though. I'm not one to carry a conversation."

"I know." Neville said, looking down at his hands. "Do your roommates talk to you?"

"Sometimes. Daniella talks to me the most. She's really my only friend in Hufflepuff, besides I guess Jude. He was assigned to answer any questions I had but so far he hasn't been very helpful." Amelia felt uncomfortable talking about people who could have been standing right behind her. What if she hurt their feelings?

He looked concerned, "Are you telling me the only friends you have are me and Daniella?"

"Does Draco count?"

"No, he's your brother. Besides, I've never seen you talk to him."

"Sometimes I do. He's more concerned with his friends. I don't try to force him to comfort me. That's not the way we work."

"Still, if I had a sister, I would talk to her and make her feel welcome. It's not fair that he ditched you."

Amelia blushed, "He didn't really. I just didn't want him to feel obligated to be with me. I can take care of myself."

Before Neville could say anything, Professor Sprout walked into the common room, a stressed look on her face. "Alright, I might as well get right to it. There's been another attack, two I should say. It's very likely the school will close down unless the culprit is found. Until that happens, there will be very strict rules regarding time spent in the corridors. Teachers will be escorting you to your next classes and the Great Hall for meals. Once the day is over, everyone is to stay in the common room, no exceptions. Everyone's got that, I suppose."

"Professor?" Jude asked from across the room, "Do the teachers have any idea what's causing the petrifications."

"Not at all. And I don't think we want to find out." Professor Sprout huffed loudly, then left the common room.

Neville wrung the edge of his sleeve nervously, "How am I going to get back to the common room?"

"I guess you'll have to stay here for tonight." Amelia said, "The couches really are quite comfortable, if you don't mind that. If you do, I think there might be a spare bed or two upstairs."

Ernie Macmillan came up to Neville and grinned, "Hey there, Longbottom, what are you doing here?"

"I was talking to Amelia outside your common room when I got the news. I'm stuck here until morning now."

Ernie laughed, "Well that's alright. You can use Justin's bed upstairs. He's not using it, isn't he."

Neville nodded, "Great. Thanks, Ernie." He turned back to Amelia, "I'd better go. Good night."

"Night." Amelia said quietly. She watched as he followed Ernie up the spiral stairs and disappear into the dormitory.

At the end of the night, Amelia's eyes hurt from staring at pages too long. She had been alternating between writing her own story to reading her newest selection from the library. Her wrists hurt and she had ink stains all over her hands. If her mother saw her like this, she would never be allowed to write again. Everything was soft skin and delicate features with her.

Everyone was still placed under quarantine the next day. The common room felt hot and muggy but staring at the same blank wall in the dormitory was driving Amelia insane.

Neville was talking to Ernie again and Zacharias Smith. Amelia didn't want to interrupt their conversation so she found an isolated corner and began writing again.

Her head was buried in her arm as she watched her quill move across the page. The sounds of people talking all blended together, becoming white noise. So, she hardly noticed when Neville sat across from her and began watching her carefully.

Only when her hand started cramping, did she set down her quill, rub her wrist, and look up.

Her eyes widened, "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Not long." He said, "But long enough that it's strange you didn't notice. What's got you all wrapped up? Did McGonagall give you a new assignment?"

"No." Amelia replied.

"Notes?"

"No."

He smiled, flashing his crooked teeth at her, "The next great British novel?" He said this like he was joking, which only discouraged Amelia.

She snapped the notebook shut. "Not exactly."

Neville's face grew blank, "Is that it? I didn't know you wrote for fun."

"Because it's not really something I do." Amelia said, "It just happens."

"Are you any good?"

"I don't know."

"Can I read it?"

"N-no!" Amelia blushed.

"I don't think it'll be bad. Please?"

Amelia eyed him carefully. Out of everyone in Hogwarts, how was it he was the only one she completely trusted?

"Okay." She said, quietly.

"Really?"

"Yeah. But can we go somewhere else? I'd rather the whole of Hufflepuff didn't hear my story."

Neville stood up quickly, "Of course. Lead the way."

Amelia smiled and started out of the common room, up the stairs to the girls dormitories. Neville looked hesitant to follow at first, but eventually gained his courage to do so. She went past all of the dormitories, going higher than most of the girls knew was possible. Daniella had discovered the secret room a few weeks before while she was doing some exploring. She had told Amelia of it immediately.

Although she had not been there herself, she had fantasized about all the possibilities that the room offered to her. A quiet place to read, a niche to do her writing, a place to escape. She had hoped to have the place all to herself. But now, she was glad she could share it with Neville.

The room was small, smaller than expected, but also beautiful. A large window looked out over the Black Lake, which was currently glittering in mid-afternoon sunlight. Birds fluttered from here to there, some even landing on the windowsill, looking in at Amelia and Neville.

"This is nice." Neville commented, "I don't think anyone's going to hear you up here."

Amelia allowed herself to laugh, "No, I don't think they will."

He sat down on a worn ottoman and looked up at her, "I'm ready when you are."

She looked anxiously for a place to sit until she finally settled on squeezing beside Neville on the ottoman. She cleared her throat, glanced at him in uncertainty, then began.

 _How was she expected to work in a place like this? The constant beating of fists and screams of disapproval made it so that Alexandra could hardly think, let alone attempt to finish her cross stitch._

 _Her mother looked at the door in fear. Thomas had thoroughly mess up, again, and was getting another lecture from Father. Probably having something to do with investing in businesses that weren't sound._

 _Try as she might, there was very little she could do to ignore the shouting men so she threw down her embroidery, stood up sharply, and dashed off to the nearest door leading outside._

 _Alexandra had to cover her mouth and nose with her handkerchief to breathe properly. The smog coming from nearby factories had long ago polluted any chance they had at getting fresh air. But that was life in the city, she supposed. No room for weakness._

 _"Miss." She heard a distant and familiar voice call her._

 _"Yes?" She replied, looking down at the street below._

 _A short boy with a pudgy face and yellowed teeth squinted up at her. Nicholas Lewis was a boy she had known all her life, despite their class differences. Their father's had been friends in the war and when they returned and Nicholas was old enough, he began an internship at her father's company._

 _"Is there a reason you would not be able to accompany me to the shipyard this afternoon?" He was grinning up at her in an angelic sort of way._

 _Alexandra looked back at her family and made her decision in an instant. "I'll be right down."_

 _She swept past her oblivious mother, the housekeeper, and her brother and father. Not that they would notice even if they were trying to pay attention._

 _Nicholas greeted her shortly when she joined him on the street before leading the pair down the path they usually trod._

 _They were not going down to the shipyard. This was a secret code between just them. When one of them wanted to get away for a little while, or talk just the two of them, without chaperon, all they had to do was request a trip to the shipyard. "Do you," he began, sticking a blade of grass between his teeth, "ever wish that we didn't live here?"_

 _"Not live in Manchester?" She said, crossing her legs and throwing herself onto her back. "What a wild idea."_

 _"It would be easier for you to get away than it would for me." Nicholas decided, "I'm fated to be here forever, aren't I."_

 _"Of course not." Alexandra said indignantly, "You've got dreams and ambitions, don't you? You've got enough spunk to get yourself out of here, no strings attached. The only way that I could leave that would be proper would be if I marry a wealthy man of great position. My father would not settle for anything less."_

 _Nicholas was silent. He was ambitious, certainly, and there was a better chance of him finding a decent job somewhere far away from Manchester and its busy streets. But Alexandra was trapped, a pretty bird in a cage that was soon to be passed off to another man who would ogle her and show her off to his friends for appearances. He found that he pitied her and her fine things._

Amelia stopped reading abruptly when she heard a bird flutter outside. She had more to read, but the interruption gave her a good excuse to stop. She had developed a permanent blush on her face the entire time she had been reading and she didn't like the way Neville was looking at her.

"Wow." Neville said after a short while. This was all he said, looking down at her wrinkled pages.

Amelia didn't take her eyes off him. She was so, heart-wrenchingly nervous. Maybe he didn't like it at all.

"That was amazing." He finally continued. "You have quite a gift, Amelia. Is that it or is there more to the story?"

"There will be." Amelia was blushing again. "I just haven't gotten that far."

"Well, let me know when you do." Neville looked at her sincerely. "Thank you for sharing that with me, Mel. It means a lot."

"Don't worry about it, Nev. It's the least I could do for my best friend."

"Best friend? Me? You're joking."

"No, I'm not. You're my best friend."

Neville grinned at her, "Good. Because I think you're mine."

For the first time in a long time, Amelia smiled without blushing. Her face didn't feel warm and she felt relatively normal. This was a welcome feeling, a good one. Amelia hoped to feel it more often.


	10. Chapter Ten: Potion-making

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Ten: Potion-Making**

Amelia was jolted awake late one night in May. Violet stood over her, looking annoyed.

"Your friend is here. He's woken the whole house, practically. You'd better go down before he causes anymore trouble."

At first, she didn't know what she was talking about. But then she sat up, rubbed her eyes, and ran her words through her head again.

"Neville is downstairs?"

"Yes, would you listen?" Violet exclaimed, "He says it's urgent."

Amelia quickly pulled on her dressing gown and slippers and ran down the spiral staircase to find Neville surrounded by angry Hufflepuff prefects in their pajamas. When her feet touched the ground, they all turned to face her.

"What's going on?" She asked, ignoring the older students as she tied her robe tightly around her.

Neville looked wild, "The Mandrakes are ready. Professor Sprout said she's given us special permission to help get them ready since we volunteered. We need to be quick. Apparently, a student's been taken."

"Taken? Where? Into the Chamber?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Don't know. Professor Sprout wouldn't tell me."

Amelia felt jittery. So many things were happening all at once.

She glared at her prefects before following him out of the common room. He was walking quickly so she needed to run to catch up with him. When she finally did, she was panting.

"Where's Professor Sprout?" She asked.

"Already there. She had Professor McGonagall retrieve me. I don't know what she did to convince her. She was not keen on letting me out."

"I can see why, what with the missing student."

"Anyway, I was told to get you and then head straight toward the greenhouses. So I did. I wonder what she'll have us do."

"Nothing too dangerous, I hope." Amelia said quietly, "We're already risking our lives by being out of the common rooms."

"There's nothing to worry about. The professors will protect us from anything that may hurt us." He smiled reassuringly at her before pushing the doors to the greenhouse open.

There, Professor Sprout was counting the Mandrakes and muttering to herself. She looked up when they entered and forced a smile on her wrinkled face.

"What would you like us to do?" Neville asked, rolling the sleeves of his nightclothes up.

Professor Sprout grimaced, 'There's a lot. Since ear muffs won't block the Mandrake's cry now that they're grown, we have to put them to sleep so when we pull them up, they won't kill you."

"Okay." Neville huffed, "How do we do that?"

"Sleeping draught. Professor Snape is bringing all he has."

Both Neville and Amelia tensed at the mention of Professor Snape. He was someone neither of them enjoyed working with.

"We'll bathe the Mandrake in the draught and they'll fall asleep almost instantly. We have to be quick to pull them out, cut their roots and toss them into the potion. This part is really quite too dangerous for you too which is why Madame Pomfrey and I will be doing it. You two are prepare the rest of the potion. Professor Snape will also be helping as the directions are slightly above your level, understand?"

"Yes." Amelia said, though she was less willing to help the cause now.

She and Neville looked at each other. Then he gave, her a reassuring smile, flashing his teeth. This half-hearted grin lifted her spirits, just enough to face the terrifying teacher.

As if on cue, the room seemed to grow a little bit colder, a little bit darker. The hairs on Amelia's neck stood on end.

"Ah, Professor Snape, there you are. Have you brought everything?" Professor Sprout said.

Professor Snape looked at Neville and Amelia curiously. "I have. I must asked, Pomona. Why are these two out of their common rooms? Neither of them could possibly be much use to us. They're both dreadful at potion-making."

"They're here because they are both excellent Herbology students, Severus. And I would advise you hold your tongue. If I'm not mistaken, Amelia's father holds quite a high position in the school council. He could very well get you fired if he hears of you talking poison about his daughter."

Amelia didn't think that would happen at all.

"Nevertheless, they are children and students. Surely, it is dangerous for them to be roaming about the school."

"They're safe here." Professor Sprout insisted. "Their help is going to be very beneficial."

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes at them, "What will they be doing for us this evening?"

"I thought they could assist you with the brewing of the potion. But since you mentioned their performance in your class, perhaps that isn't the best place for them. I wasn't going to allow them to help me with the Mandrakes but-"

"Fine." He said, slowly, as if it pained him to say.

Professor Sprout nodded firmly before making her way to the Mandrakes on the other side of the greenhouse.

"This is a relatively easy potion so between the two of you, perhaps you won't manage to muck it up too badly."

He handed them each a copy of the directions. "Why don't you start with the slicing of the rat's tail, Mr. Longbottom. And Miss Malfoy you can measure out the goblin extract, yes?"

"Yes." She replied timidly.

With trembling hands, she took the bottle up and began pouring out the specified amount. She could feel Professor Snape's cold, black eyes on her while she worked. Even though they weren't in class, she knew that he was judging her, that he was thinking of ways to humiliate her later. It made her dread her next potions lesson.

She could see Neville working on the other side of the cauldron, his head bent diligently forward. He kept sending nervous looks at Professor Snape, who didn't seem to notice. Finally, he looked at her and gave her an assuring smile.

With this act of kindness, Amelia gained the courage she needed to continue working under the firm gaze of Professor Snape.

This process took much longer than she originally thought. Amelia wasn't even sure what time of night it was, or maybe it was morning. Her eyes drooped only once and she never yawned. The stress of completing the work was keeping her on edge.

She could hear Professor Snape working as well, in complete silence. Once, she looked at him and he was glaring forebodingly at the instructions for the potion. Amelia wondered if he was always glaring, no matter what he was looking at.

"I've finished with the Mandrakes." Professor Sprout said suddenly, startling Amelia. "How close are you with the potion, Severus?"

"We are finished, much to my surprise. Perhaps these two aren't as useless in crisis as they are in class." Professor Snape hissed.

"Excellent. Let's get the Mandrakes into the cauldron then." Professor Sprout said. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get those poor kids out of the hospital."

They all worked together to throw the cut-up Mandrakes into the cauldron. Afterwards, Amelia and Neville stood over the bubbling cauldron, watching as the Mandrakes dissolved. It suddenly began emitting a terrible smell that made Amelia's toes curl.

"I believe that's quite enough excitement for these students tonight." Professor Snape said finally, shall we get them back to their common rooms?"

Professor Sprout nodded, "Of course. I'll take them while you deliver the potion to Madame Pomfrey. I'm afraid we still have a long night ahead of us."

Amelia was abruptly out of her mind with exhaustion. Everything was numb and inaudible buzzes. She hardly remembered leaving the greenhouses with Professor Sprout and Neville and walking through the cold corridors in the pitch black. She closed her eyes and suddenly, Professor McGonagall was there, wide eyed and anxious.

"Ginny Weasley's been found. Harry Potter brought her out of the Chamber. Ron Weasley's got Lockhart. And somehow he's gone loopy. I need everyone."

Professor Sprout turned to the two students. "Are you two okay getting yourselves to your common rooms?"

Neville glanced at a zoned-out Amelia and said, "I think so, Professor. You should go ahead."

"Good night then. Thank you both immensely for your help. I'll see to it that Professor Dumbledore rewards you for your work." She said before hurrying after Professor McGonagall.

Amelia followed behind Neville slowly.

"Are you okay? You haven't talked in a while." Neville said eventually.

She yawned as she replied, "Yeah. I just got tired all of a sudden." She laughed quietly to herself, "Do you ever get so tired that you can't move?"

"Maybe sometimes." Neville said, smiling at her. "Are you really that tired?"

"I think so. I've never stayed up this late. Mother and Father always make sure I'm in bed at a decent hour and I've been doing the same thing on my own."

"Well here, if you really can't move, I'll help you out." He took her hand gently and pulled her along the corridor.

She laughed giddily and stumbled beside him until they were standing outside of the Hufflepuff common room. Their hands were warm against each other and when he let go, her palm felt cold.

"Thank you." She slurred, "I probably would have gotten lost if I'd been left to get back myself."

"I've gotten lost before and I know that's not fun. I wouldn't want you to go through that. Especially in your current state."

Amelia rubbed her eyes and stifled another yawn, "Well, I'm going to bed. Good night, Nev."

"Good night, Mel. Don't hurt yourself getting into your dormitory." He said this with a sly smile, one that Amelia had seen on the rare occasion when Neville was completely comfortable and at ease. This was one of her favorite versions of him.

She gave him one last fleeting smile before knocking on the door and sliding into the dark common room, alone once again.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Freedom

**A/N: Thanks for being so patient for this chapter!**

 ** _These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Eleven: Freedom**

Draco and Amelia were called down to the Headmaster's office later the next morning. Lucius met them outside, with a tight smile. He had arranged for them to have a private breakfast in Hogsmeade before he had to deal with the events of the previous night.

"Good morning, children." He greeted them. "I trust you had a pleasant evening."

"Of course, Father." Draco replied.

Amelia had to stifle a yawn. This was an acceptable response for Lucius, who glared menacingly at her.

"Amelia, please refrain from spending the entire night out of bed." Her father said, "We all know that you need plenty of sleep to have a proper constitution. If your duties are keeping you from doing do, perhaps I should speak to your professors about keeping you too busy. Then again, maybe you should learn to manage yourself."

She blushed and looked down at her shoes. "Yes, Father."

"Shall we go?" Lucius said.

He and Draco walked side by side, conversing easily. As Amelia walked behind them, she found that both of them behaved quite in the same manner, the same pride, ambition, and disdain for people who they deemed of lower status. No wonder Lucius was so proud of Draco.

Amelia was silent for all of breakfast. Not that she ever had an opportunity to speak. Draco had plenty to say about his own year. Amelia had very little. That is, she had very little she wished to share with her belittling father. She may be more apt to explain the friendship between her and Neville if she was with her mother, but as it was, she was occupied at one of her friend's house.

Just as their meal was finishing, Amelia felt a presence loom behind her. Her father looked up in surprise.

"Cornelius! Whatever are you doing here?"

"There have been attacks, Lucius. You wouldn't expect me to not make an appearance after such an event." The minister addressed her father sternly, as if he was a young schoolboy who had misbehaved.

Lucius had not yet caught on to the tone of the conversation. "If you're here to speak with Headmaster Dumbledore about the dreadful affair, you shall wait for me. I'm only finishing breakfast with my children."

"I have actually just come from Dumbledore's office, Lucius. It is you I have come to see." Cornelius glanced at Draco and Amelia. "I'm afraid it's a rather uncomfortable business. It would be better to speak with you privately."

Lucius dabbed at the corner of his lips with a napkin and stood from his place at the table gently. "No matter. I was full anyway. Children, stay in here while I speak to the minister outside."

Draco and Amelia looked at each other in curiosity before running to the window to watch their father's and the minister's conversation.

At first, it appeared as though they were close friends, exchanging words easily. However, Cornelius had a forced smile on his face the whole time. There was then an obvious shift in the mood. Lucius' smile dropped and he became angry. Amelia could see him shout ferociously at the minister, not caring that people in the streets were watching them in disdain.

"What do you suppose is happening?" Draco asked her.

Amelia bit her lip, "Nothing good, that's for sure."

When their father returned, he was in a far worse mood than he had been before. He summoned them immediately, leaving behind a large sum to pay for their food. He didn't speak at all on the way back to the castle and scarcely gave them goodbyes before he set off for Dumbledore's office.

Amelia and Draco looked at each other before heading to their own dormitories. She was glad for some time for herself, as she had much writing to catch up on.

Recently, Amelia had been dedicating the majority of her time to studying for her exams. She was not going to let herself fall behind in her first year and give her father more ammunition to use against her.

The common room was empty when she arrived as well as the dormitory. It was very rare that she had the place to herself, so rare that she couldn't recall the last time it happened. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs just because she could and not draw attention to herself.

Amelia didn't do this, of course. She was far too anxious of discovery to do so.

Instead, she went up to her dormitory. Richard cooed admiringly when he saw her enter the room. When she sat down on her bed, he curled up beside her and began purring and rubbing his nose affectionately on her hand.

She complied with his demands and began petting his head gently.

"Morning, Amelia." Daniella said as she entered the dormitory. "Morning, Richard."

"Morning." Amelia said quietly.

"What have you been doing this morning?" Daniella asked as she rifled through her school bag.

Amelia bit her lip, "Nothing much. My father is here for business with Professor Dumbledore so my brother and I had breakfast with him. That was nice."

"I'd imagine." She replied, some laughter in her voice.

This struck Amelia in the wrong way, "What?"

"I'm just saying, I'd imagine breakfast with your father and your brother was nice. Nice in the way that getting bit by a garden gnome is nice."

There were a few seconds of silence. Amelia wasn't usually one to defend or stand up for her family openly. But she felt like she owed them this.

"That's my family."

"What?"

"Draco and my father. You can't talk about them like that in front of me."

Daniella looked distraught, "Oh no, Amelia! I didn't realize! I don't know, I guess I just thought that you didn't like them."

"Well I do."

"I'm so sorry, Amelia."

She sighed, "I forgive you. I know you didn't mean it."

Daniella looked unsure and was quiet for a while until the rest of the girls came in. It was as though Amelia had never said anything at all. This was a relief. Amelia had been secretly panicking the whole time, worrying that Daniella would start hating her instead.

Later the next day, Amelia was walking by herself in the courtyard when she ran into the very unexpected.

Dobby the house elf was sitting between two rose bushes, looking happily up at the sky. He was smiling widely and singing some song to himself.

"Dobby?! What are you doing here?"

"Dobby has been freed, miss! I didn't want to leave until I said goodbye to you. You were the only person kind to me at the Malfoy house." Dobby replied, standing up. He had a large sock on his left foot.

"I'm sure that's not true." Amelia said bashfully.

The house elf grinned mischievously, "Tis true, miss. I would never lie to a respectable witch such as yourself."

Amelia felt her heart constrict, "Live well, Dobby. I somebody someday will recognize your potential."

"Be careful with Master Malfoy, ma'm. I've heard whispers throughout the house. There's something at work in his mind."

She nodded thoughtfully but paid no mind to his words. Although her father was a mysterious enigma that always kept her guessing, he had left his old life behind. He was no longer an avid follower of an outdated villain.

Amelia gave Dobby an uncomfortable hug and bid him goodbye. He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a chaotic wave.

"Amelia."

She turned around to see Draco walking towards her, his school robes flying behind him. In an instant, he looked like their father in his agonizing sophistication. The look in his eye looked like it could kill.

"Draco. What's wrong?"

He then changed from their father into his usual self. "Wrong? Does something have to be wrong for me to talk to you?"

"No." Amelia looked at the ground bashfully. "Is there something wrong?"

"Funnily enough, yes. Do you remember when Father was arguing with the Minister yesterday?"

"Yes." She said uneasily.

He sighed, "Well apparently the Minister was firing. Father's not a governor anymore."

Amelia was unsure of what to think of this. She knew her parents would both be disappointed, her father more so. In fact, he would be so disappointed that he would probably treat the family poorly until he stopped being disappointed.

"What are we going to do?"

Draco scoffed, "It's not like we're not well-off Amelia. We have plenty of funds in the family safe. Father doesn't need to hold a job in order to earn money. He needed that job for the power of it, the prestige. You should be more worried about our connections."

"I should be more worried for our connections than I should about Father?"

Her brother looked confused. "Father is strong, Amelia. He can handle this road bump."

"But he's going to be hurt by this, Draco. We have to be kind to make him feel better."

"Kindness is a weakness, Amelia. If you knew that, maybe you would be a Slytherin." He said this calmly, as if he didn't believe his words would hurt her. "If you're not doing anything, why don't we go on a walk. Sometimes the idiots in my dormitory can be really wearing."

Amelia smiled sheepishly, "I'd like that."

"Good. I was hoping to discuss some things with you regarding next year. I don't want you to fall behind like I suspect you did this year." He eyed her disapprovingly. "This year was pretty easy for me so I can definitely help you out."

"You know, Neville also did fairly well in his classes this year. He can help me too."

"Longbottom?" Draco's face twisted into one of disgust. "Why would you take any advice from him?"

"He seems to know what he's doing, Draco."

"You're not in class with him. He's probably different for you because he thinks he can seem interesting to an unknowing first year."

"Oh." Amelia said, looking at the ground.

"Not that you're completely unknowing." Draco said when he noticed her face. "You've done perfectly well this year. I'm proud to call you my sister."

Right as he said this, Neville passed, holding his toad, Trevor, in his hands.

"Hi, Nev." Amelia said smiling.

"Hi, Mel." Neville replied, smiling. He glanced at Draco. "Draco."

"Longbottom."

This interaction took only a few seconds, but it didn't go unnoticed by Amelia. This was one of the first converstaions she'd ever seen take place between Neville and Draco that hadn't been uncivil.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Draco replied stiffly.

"For not doing what you usually do. I hope you don't start that up again."

"I make no promises when you're not around. But I will respect the relationship you have with him as long as you're in sight. Doesn't mean I approve of it, doesn't mean I'm not going to try to separate you."

"I'll take it." Amelia replied decidedly. "But I can tell you right now, I'm not going to stop being his friend. I don't think I ever will. So good luck."


	12. Chapter Twelve: Sting

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Twelve: Sting**

The final day of Hogwarts arrived sooner than Amelia expected it too. She was surprised when she realized that she was going to miss her dorm mates, professors, and her friends.

And by friends, this was referring to Neville.

Still, she couldn't remain at the school during the summer so she packed her belongings. She secured Richard in his cage before taking him downstairs with her wand. Everything else would be brought down to the train by the house elves.

Everyone was gathering in the common room for a final farewell to the seventh years and assigning the new mentors for the following year.

Amelia didn't know any of the seventh years and barely new the promoted mentors so she didn't pay much attention. Instead, she kept her eyes on the floor.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a hand clapping down on her shoulder.

"I don't recall you ever coming to speak with me this year, Amelia." Jude Walters said.

"I didn't have any trouble. My brother helped me out when he could." She replied, "Sorry."

"No, no, you made my job loads easier. Did you make any friends?"

"Acquaintances." Amelia said.

"Only acquaintances? Must have been a lonely year." Jude said knowingly.

Se hid a smile, "Neville may be my friend."

"Ah, so you aren't completely standoffish as I first believed. How long did it take you to let him in?"

"Not too long actually." Amelia admitted. "I must say he surprised me."

"Good, I'm glad. Well, I have some more friends to say goodbye to so I'll see you next year, Amelia. It was great being your mentor this year."

"Even though you did nothing?"

"That's what made it great!" Jude gave her one final wink before disappearing in the crowd of Hufflepuffs.

Amelia wasn't quite sure what to do. She had already completed her packing and had finished all the books she had with her, not that that had stopped her before. Jude had just put her in a different kind of mood.

She took Richard's cage down to the Great hall and had her breakfast alone, quietly wondering where Neville was.

Richard had just started to nibble on her food when Neville sat down beside her, a resolved grin on his face.

"You're down here early."

Amelia smiled at Neville as if he was an old friend, and in a strange sort of way, he was. They had only known each other for less than a year and Amelia already felt as though they had been great friends for longer.

"Where've you been? Saying goodbye to your Gryffindor friends?"

"Something like that. More like trying to say goodbye and being ignored."

This resonated in Amelia's heart. Neville always talked about how he didn't feel very welcome in Gryffindor. He believed he wasn't really supposed to be there. Amelia understood this very well.

Neville ruffled the top of Richard's head. "Are you excited to be going home?"

"Somewhat. IT's going to be tense since Father lost his job as governor."

"Does your family go anywhere? Gran and I go to Ireland every year to visit family."

"We got to Paris. Mother has a house she inherited there."

"Wow, Paris! I've never even been to France."

"Really? There's really nothing there. It's actually kind of boring."

"Probably because you've been there every year. I'd imagine it's not very exciting for you."

"Well if you ever visit, I can show you around." Amelia said.

"That'd be great! Maybe I can convince Gran to change our plans this year."

Neville seemed ecstatic at the idea of going to France which excited Amelia. Maybe she wouldn't be completely alone this summer after all.

The two finished their breakfast quickly. By the time they were done, most of the other students had gone down to the train station to wait on the train until it left for Kings Cross.

"Are you going to sit with your brother on the train?" Neville asked as they made their own way to the train.

"I haven't planned anything with him yet. I don't really want to sit with his friends. They scare me."

"Me too." Neville laughed.

"So I guess that means we can sit together." Amelia resolved. "I'm sure Richard will be happy. He seems to like you."

He smiled at this. "Good."

The two found an empty compartment near the back of the train. Amelia let Richard out of his cage and Neville brought Trevor out of his pocket. The two animals roamed about the compartment contently while their owners talked and ate the treats they bought from the trolley.

"I don't really like chocolate frogs." Amelia said, looking down at the one in her hands, "They melt too quickly and they've only got one good jump in them before they're worthless."

Neville laughed, "How can you hate chocolate frogs? Everyone loves them."

"I didn't say I hated them. I said I didn't really like them. Sure, chocolate is delicious but I don't know if it needs to be in frog form."

"Well," Neville said, "I don't really like Pumpkin Pasties. In my opinion, pumpkins shouldn't be desserts."

"What? You don't like pumpkin pie?"

His nose crinkled, "No, that's even worse."

"Wow," Amelia was laughing too now, "Well I guess we don't agree on everything."

"It was bound to happen eventually."

Amelia smiled, "I'm glad it's over something that's not a big deal."

"Me too." He smiled back at her.

They reached Kings Cross station in the early evening, just as the sun was disappearing over the horizon. Neville and Amelia departed together and retrieved their belongings after waiting in the long line of other students who had done the exact same thing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her father standing tall and proud on the far side of the platform. He was discussing something with one of his associates, Goyle she believed. She was grateful he hadn't seen her yet.

Once she got her bags, Amelia decided it was time to find her family. She pushed through the throngs of people until she got back to where her father had been standing. Taking the place of Mr. Goyle, was Draco.

"Ah, Amelia." Her father said, "I was wondering where you had gone off to." He glanced at Neville disapprovingly. "I see now you were just...talking. Come now, we best be off."

She turned to Neville and smiled, "I'll see you next year, Nev. Write me please!"

"You know I will." He replied, smiling back at her.

"Amelia!" Her father said, "Now!"

She obediently followed after her father and brother looking back at Neville.

He nodded at her reassuringly and waved another goodbye at her. Yes, she would miss him this summer.

The Malfoy Manor was quiet when they arrived. Then again, it was always quiet. But this silence was eerie and uncomfortable. It made Amelia feel itchy.

"My dear!" Amelia's mother said, "How great it is to see you! We have much to discuss. But first, welcome you home properly. Why don't you two go freshen up in your bedrooms and come back down in ten minutes?"

"Yes, Mother." Draco and Amelia said in unison. She kissed both of their cheeks before sending them up.

"She seemed to be in a good mood." Amelia said.

"It's a façade. She's trying to pretend like Father didn't just lose his job."

"Is that good?"

"It's a valiant attempt but I'm not sure what good it'll do."

"Like I said, it will probably be good to make Father feel better."

"And like I said, he can get through this, we don't need to baby him. He can handle anything, Amelia." Draco said this arrogantly, as if he believed their father was immortal. "I'll see you at dinner."

Amelia watched as he swept into his room and latched the door securely behind him. He was just as mysterious as their father.

Her room felt cold but familiar. She let Richard out of his cage and he began sniffing around the room.

She set her bags on her neatly made bed and opened them. She threw the dirty clothes into the hamper for the house elves to get later. Amy clean clothes she had went directly back into her dresser and closet. The rest of her belongings, the books, parchment, and cauldron, were sorted into her bookcase and desk accordingly.

"Amelia! Come down to dinner!" Her mother called up the stairs.

Tying back her long hair and preparing for a tense family dinner, Amelia followed her mother's orders. She was already preparing herself for harsh words and violent threats.

However, when she entered the dining room, her father was laughing, genuinely smiling at his son and wife.

When he saw her, he beamed brighter. "Amelia! There you are! You must tell us all about your year. Draco says he believes you've done very well in your studies."

Amelia was hesitant. "Yes...I suppose I did."

"Come. Sit."

She slowly sat down in the seat across from her brother. He was looking down at his food as if he'd done something naughty.

"Who would have thought you would excel in a house such as Hufflepuff?" Her father mused.

"I'm proud to see you overcame the idiocy involved with the house in order to perform well. It says quite a bit about your character."

"Thank you, Father. But many of the students in Hufflepuff are quite intelligent. Most of my roommates fo just as well as I do. Violet is tenth in our class."

"How...quaint." Her mother said, "I suppose progress has been made in the overall quality of students since we've been to Hogwarts, Lucius."

"Yes." Lucius replied with a tight smile. "Progress."

Amelia knew her father hated progress and preferred tradition.

"Amelia, dear, what was your favorite class?" Her mother asked.

"I really enjoyed Herbology." She admitted, "Professor Sprout is my Head of House so she's very air with me. I've also spent some time helping her after classes. She appreciates the extra hands."

"How delightful." Her father said, "Getting on your teachers' good sides is a very excellent move. Perhaps next year you can do the same to your Potions master."

Amelia looked down at her plate in shame. Professor Snape had always been close to her parents. It wasn't surprising that they would want her to depend on him. But he frightened her. The way he seemed to glide everywhere he went reminded her of a ghost. His eyes were empty and lifeless most of the time.

"I'll try." She said eventually.

"You will. Not try. That's the kind of attitude that landed you in Hufflepuff."

"Yes, Father. I will."

He nodded firmly and turned to his son. "How were your final Quidditch matches? I know I only made it to the first one."

"The rest were easy defeats, Father." Draco, replied. "The only reason I lost the first one was-"

"Harry Potter. Yes, I know." Lucius said flatly. "You mustn't let that boy get in the way of your ambitions, Draco. He may seem immortal and important now but he does not have your drive. When you enter into the adult world, that is what will matter most."

"Of course, Father. You're right. Harry Potter is nothing compared to me."

"Don't boast. Arrogance will get you nowhere."

"I'm just saying that no one likes him. I don't get why he's so popular."

Amelia then made a grave mistake. "I like him."

Draco and her father turned to look at her.

"How?" Draco asked, "How can you like him, Amelia?"

"He seems kind. And friendly."

"Seems being the key word. He gives off the appearance of being that way, but when you get up close, you see how flawed he really is." Draco said viciously.

"Have you given him a chance to prove otherwise?" Amelia asked, "What happened to second chances?"

"Second chances-"

"Is this why everyone calls you a bully? My roommates talk about you like you're some kind of plague. I ignore them because I think they aren't right. Are they? Do you actually hurt people-"

Amelia was cut off by a rapid slap to the face. For a minute, she didn't know what to do. She held her stinging cheek and looked at her father with wide eyes.

"Lucius!" Her mother gasped, rising and running over to her daughter.

"Father?" Draco said. He also looked stunned.

"I understand now why you were placed in Hufflepuff, Amelia. It's because you are weak and stupid. You have no idea what the real world is like. Propriety means nothing to you. You have no potential. You are nothing."

Amelia felt tears come to her eyes, "Father..."

"I expect to see a change in your attitude soon. If not, e may have to rethink whether or not you belong in this family. You are excused from the table."

She rose slowly, looking at her concerned mother and thunderstruck brother. Neither of them said anything to defend her. So she went.

When she got to her bedroom, she collapsed on the bed and cried. Her pillow muffled her shaky sobs. Richard cooed and nestled beside her. Eventually, she fell asleep, her cheeks puffy and her eyes red.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Inside

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Thirteen** **: Inside**

It had been thunder storming all day. Thunder had woken Amelia up that morning, rain had kept her company during lunch, and now, when she was trying to go to sleep, lightning flashed violently. Richard was hiding under her bed fearfully. She hated the wind that rattled and the thunder that shook.

This particularly nasty storm bit viciously at the beautiful summer weather they had been having so far. It was unwelcome by Amelia and despised.

Another reason for her not enjoying the storm was that it kept her in the house. She had barely spoken to her father since he slapped her, or rather, he had barely spoken to her. No one in the family had spoken of it. They did what they did best, ignored it and moved on.

The house felt like a cage, keeping her in with demons that she was not ready to confront. She wasn't sure she would ever be able to confront these demons, but this was certainly not the time. Not when she still depended so heavily on them.

Just when the storm was dying down, at the peak of the evening, she heard a gentle peck at her window. She looked over and saw a tall tawny owl holding a letter in its beak.

Amelia looked at it curiously for a minute. She then jumped up and opened the window, petting the soft feathers beneath its face. He hooted at her as she took the letter and examined it.

 _Amelia Malfoy_

 _Malfoy Manor_

 _Hertfordshire, England_

She opened the envelope, expecting some sort of letter from the school. Instead, it was a letter written in a very familiar hand writing.

 _Dear Amelia,_

 _You told me to write you so I did. Sorry it's taken so long, Gran has kept me busy around the house. Besides the gnomes that hide in the garden that need to be driven out, there are_ _also_ _Cornish_ _pixies_ _everywhere, which isn't that_ _unusual_ _for this time in the summer._

 _I hope your summer is going well. Mine is. Trevor got lost again last week but I found him this morning in the bushes. I'm not sure where he goes off to when he runs away but he always ends up back where he started._

 _I miss you. It's not nearly as fun to do work in the garden without you. I've told Gran as much and she says you should come to visit so I'll actually do my chores._

 _Anyway, tell me about your summer. I know were nervous about your father being in a bad mood. I hope he wasn't for your sake._

 _If you want to write me, which you absolutely don't have to do if you're too busy, you can reach me here:_

 _27 Mallory Place_

 _Brighton, England_

 _I_ _ho_ _pe_ _this reaches you well and that you are happy._

 _Neville_

Amelia beamed. This made her feel loads better. Confidence surged through her. Momentarily, she felt as though she could face her father. That feeling dried up when she heard him yelling at someone downstairs.

She quickly wrote Neville back, explaining everything that had happened to her down to the last detail. It felt good to tell someone, someone she knew would be concerned. Still, she assured him not to worry and that nothing else was wrong. She also urged him to enjoy his summer with his gran since it didn't look like they'd be able to meet up at all.

Her writing came to an abrupt halt when she heard her father cry out in anger. She flinched out of habit and listened to his bitter words.

"I can't believe it, Narcissa. A whole fleet of dementors guarding him and he escapes? That run has always been too cocky for his own good. And now it's gotten him out of Azkaban. I swear, if he wasn't your cousin, I would hunt him down and kill him myself."

"Go right ahead, Lucius. Sirius lost the name of Black when he became a blood traitor all those years ago. It's no one's fault but his own. He deserved the treatment he's got. When they catch him, they're sure to give him the Kiss. Then we'll be rid of him."

Amelia was not sure who they were talking about. She knew very little about her parents' families. They were not very open people. The most she knew was that her mother had one sister, Bellatrix, who had been thrown into Azkaban after the Dark Lord fell. She also knew that her father was an only child whose parents had died when he was in his sixth year at Hogwarts.

Amelia went to find her brother and was not surprised to find him in his bedroom. He was on his bed, propped up against the wall. He was reading but he had to keep pushing his hair out of the way; it had gotten unruly.

"Draco."

He looked up at her with his stormy grey eyes. "Can I help you, Amelia?"

"Who are they talking about?"

"Sirius Black." Draco replied, "Mother's cousin. He escaped from Azkaban."

"Why was he in Azkaban?"

"Besides being suspected as a Death Eater? He killed thirteen people and one of his best friends. He ran away from home and was disowned by the family. Good thing too. We don't need the association."

Amelia nodded and quietly looked at the ground. Draco had returned to his reading.

"Is he dangerous?"

"Yes, Amelia."

"What should I do if he attacks me?"

Draco sighed and set down his book. "He won't come after you, Amelia. It's Mudbloods he's after. You're going to be completely fine."

She nodded again and left his room. Knowing that he was strictly after Muggleborns did nothing to ease her anxieties. She still wrote about Sirius Black to Neville and went to bed fearing the world.

In the next few days, Amelia hardly talked to anyone. The other members of her family didn't seem to notice her change in attitude, probably because they hardly ever talked to her anyway.

She was too busy thinking about Sirius Black and the danger he brought to the world. She was terrified of even stepping for fear of being attacked.

Neville wrote back to her quickly and assured her not to worry about Black. He also seemed overly concerned for her well-being in regards to her father. He told her that fathers weren't supposed to hit their children.

Amelia knew better than to believe that her father was in any way abusive to her. He just got angry sometimes. And when he got angry, he occasionally lashed out. That wasn't abuse, was it?

She chose to ignore this line of thinking and delve into more concerning topics such as the dangers the Sirius Black brought with him. She had heard her parents talking with their friends about the possibility of forming a search party to hunt him down. This assured her. If anyone could take care of this problem, it was her parents.

It was a constant internal struggle, debating between her parents, her friend, and Sirius Black. The only person she could talk to constantly was Richard and he could offer no advice back. Sure, he reassured her with his softness and gentleness, but that was all.


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Breathe

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Fourteen: Breathe**

Amelia was bursting with excitement. After two and a half long months of struggling at home, she was finally going to see her best friend again.

Her brother, too, was anxious to get back to school. He was starting his third year and was able to take elective classes. This meant studying something he actually wanted to study.

The Malfoys arrived at Kings Cross with half an hour to spare before the train left platform 9 ¾. This wasn't surprising as the Malfoys were always prompt for everything.

"Children, you two should go ahead and get your baggage on the train. Don't want to have to worry about that when the other students get here." Lucius said, looking above the growing crowd. "After that say goodbye to your mother. I'm off to find some of my associates."

Draco and Lucius shook hands. He gave Amelia a small half-hearted hug. "Until Christmas."

Narcissa, as usual, was gentler with her children, giving them each a soft kiss on their foreheads and embracing them tightly to her chest.

"Behave this year, Draco. I don't want to hear from your headmaster that you've been mistreating the first years again." She turned to Amelia and straightened her robes, "Try to make more friends this year, Amelia. I would like to hear about some more accomplishments when I see you in December again."

"Yes, Mother." Amelia replied dutifully. "I'll see you at Christmas."

She gave a final look to her brother before she ran off to find Neville.

More students had begun to arrive on the platform, making it more difficult to navigate. Still, she managed to find him standing beside his gran, talking quietly. He hadn't seen her yet, so she took that moment to observe him.

He hadn't seemed to change much. Perhaps grown taller and lost some of the fat in his cheeks. His hair was still disheveled and his teeth still endearingly crooked. Amelia found herself smiling.

Neville saw her then. His eyes brightened and he waved her over, "Amelia! Come here, meet my gran."

She walked up to him and the short older woman, who was looking at the ground in disapproval. She looked up when Amelia reached them and sniffed at her.

"Gran, this is Amelia. She's the friend I made last year."

"Yes, you've talked about her enough." She turned to Amelia, "Very nice to meet you, Amelia. I've heard plenty about you from Neville. He really respects you."

Amelia and Neville blushed simultaneously.

"Thank you, m'am." Amelia said, "I respect him as well."

"Not to mention how excited he gets when he sees one of your letters in the mail."

Neville covered up his face with his hands, "Gran, please."

"What?" She proclaimed, "I'm merely telling this girl the facts."

"I think it's time we got on the train." He said, taking Amelia's hand, "I'll see you at Christmas, Gran."

"You two behave yourselves this year!" She called after them as Neville dragged Amelia away.

The two friends were laughing hysterically by the time they stopped running. Their hands separated as they entered the train.

"Your Gran seems very nice." Amelia told Neville.

He shrugged, "She's a bit oblivious. You saw her back there. No respect for privacy. But she's not wrong." He looked at her with his dark brown eyes, "I did look forward to your letters. They were one of the only good things that happened to me this summer."

"Same here." Amelia said timidly.

Neville frowned, "Did you go to Paris this year?"

"No. Father said it was too dangerous with Sirius Black running around. That and," she paused, "he was angry."

"We didn't go to Ireland either." Neville said, noticing the sad look in Amelia's eyes. "Something about weather. But I think Gran was scared of Black too. I think everyone is."

All of the other compartments were claimed by other students so the pair was forced to join a sleeping man on the cushy seats. He was covered by his jacket and was leaning up against the window, a bottle of liquor sitting beside him.

"We'll have to make do." Neville sighed. "I wanted tell you about the electives I'm taking this year. I'm excited for them."

He told her all about the book he had to get for Care of Magical Creatures, which was essentially an untamable beast unto itself. Amelia recalled Draco picking one of those books up at Flourish and Blotts.

"I have no idea how to open it." Neville laughed, "Every time I try, it attacks me. Hopefully Professor Kettleburn will help out with that."

"I wish I could take that class. I would dearly love to take care of the animals. They look so sweet." Amelia mused.

"Not all animals are as sweet as Richard, Mel."

"I know that. But I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt."

Neville smiled, "I think you're too kind to animals."

"I think you aren't nice enough."

They smiled at each other until they felt the train begin to move and someone popped their head into the compartment.

"Hey, Neville." Ron Weasley said, "Everywhere else is full. Do you mind if we sit here?"

Neville's face flushed, "Go ahead, there's plenty of room." He glanced at Amelia who moved to sit next to him to make room for Ron, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger.

The trio eyed Amelia suspiciously, which made her look down at her feet in shame. Sure, she knew they had a right to hate her and her family, but that didn't mean their icy stares didn't hurt.

"How was your summer, Neville?" Hermione asked.

"It was okay." Neville replied quietly, looking at his shoes.

Ron whispered something to Harry, who nodded and glanced at Amelia.

"Who's that?" Ron asked, nodding at the sleeping man.

"Professor R.J. Lupin." Hermione said, pulling a book out of her bag.

He looked at her incredulously, "Do you know everything?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically at him, "It's on his suitcase, Ronald."

Amelia looked up at the suitcase lying on the shelf above the sleeping man's head. It did, in fact, say the man's name. She felt idiotic.

"This is Amelia." Neville said suddenly, "She's a second year in Hufflepuff."

Harry nodded, "You're Malfoy's sister, right?"

She nodded slowly.

No one else said anything to her. The fact that she was Draco's sister was enough to turn them off her for the rest of the train ride. They conversed easily with each other and awkwardly with Neville. But not once did they try to talk to Amelia. She could tell Neville felt bad, he kept trying to include her, but she ended up getting shut down every time.

Just when Harry starting talking about Quidditch, the train lurched forward and then came to an abrupt halt. The lights went out, leaving them all in near-pitch dark. She gasped fearfully. Everyone else looked around in alarm.

"What's going on?" Ron asked aloud, even though no one knew the answer. His words came out in puffs of air.

Amelia shivered and pressed herself against the window to look out. To her horror, she saw a hooded, dark figure boarding the train. "S-someone's coming aboard."

The train lurched again. Neville cried out as he was knocked to the floor. This, consequently, caused Amelia to fall as well. Amelia was just about to pull herself up when the train lurched again. She and Neville were sprawled out on the ground, caught between the two benches in the compartment.

"Ow! Neville, you're on my foot!" Ron cried.

"That's me, actually." Amelia replied quietly.

She could tell Ron was about to say something foul, when they saw it.

A tall, cloaked creature slowly glided past the door. Mist crept by its feet. Amelia was hoping it would go past them without causing harm but these hopes evaporated as she saw the thin bony hand open the door.

Her body tensed and she clung to Neville. His eyes were wide and he was holding onto her as well. Ron backed up until he couldn't anymore. Hermione opened her mouth in a silent scream.

The creature inched toward Harry. Harry inched towards it. But not because he wanted to. It was clear the creature was doing something to Harry.

Amelia was just about to scream when the sleeping man stood up and pointed a wand at the creature. A flash of bright light struck the creature, causing it to flee.

Ron, Hermione, and Neville relaxed. Harry was unconscious. Amelia was hyperventilating.

"Amelia?" Neville said, sitting up, "Amelia, are you okay?"

Amelia felt hot and suffocated. She gripped at her head, which was pounding, and cried.

"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked.

"I don't know!" Neville cried, "We've got to help her." He looked around wildly, "Please!"

The sleeping man rushed up to her side and slid Neville something dark. "Here give this to her, it will make her feel better." Neville looked at him like he was crazy. "Trust me."

Neville took the dark thing and slid it between Amelia's lips. "Amelia, eat this, please. Please."

She turned her head and refused. She felt nauseous. Eating something was not going to make her feel better.

"Please, Amelia. I don't know what else to do." Neville pleaded.

She whimpered and took the dark thing. She could do this for Neville. She forced it in with the tears and the cold air and swallowed. She closed her eyes and let it hit her.

Chocolate. That's what it was. The sweetness eased her mind and calmed her. She felt like a load had been lifted off her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Neville asked, "What was that?"

"I-I don't know. I just felt so...scared." Amelia answered.

The sleeping man nodded, "That'll happen when you come face to face with a dementor."

"Dementor?" Neville asked, "That's what that was?"

He nodded, "Yes. A particularly nasty one at that. Now, let's wake our sleeping friend."

It took some time but Harry finally woke back up. He seemed disoriented and woozy but alive. The sleeping man, Professor R.J. Lupin, left the compartment to talk to the conductor, leaving the students on their own.

"Did I really pass out?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded, "You did. At first I thought you were having a fit or something." He glanced at Amelia.

Amelia bit her lip and looked out the window. Neville bumped her knee with his.

"Are you okay?" He said this quietly, so as not to draw the attention of the others.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I hardly know. That's never happened to me before. I-I hated it." She had to stop herself before she broke down again.

Neville brought her close and hugged her, "I'm sorry. I wish I knew what to do."

"I'll be okay." She whispered, "I always am."

When they pulled away from each other, they noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione watching them. For the first time that Amelia could remember, they weren't looking at her like she was something evil and untouchable.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Green

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Fifteen: Green**

"Welcome back, second years! We've got some great lessons ahead." Professor Sprout announced to the second year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. "But for now, let's talk about these Mandrakes."

Amelia smiled to herself. This lesson was going to be easy. She had dealt with Mandrakes all last year with Neville.

When Professor Sprout dismissed them to begin the lesson, Amelia completed her repotting with ease. Professor Sprout passed by, examining the work done by the students and smiled at her.

"Excellent job, Amelia. Perhaps you could help Ginny. She seems to be struggling."

Amelia turned to see Ginny Weasley battling with her Mandrake. She was far enough away that she hadn't heard what Professor Sprout had said, which made Amelia feel better. She wouldn't have wanted to make Ginny feel bad about not being able to pot the Mandrake.

"Do you need help?" Amelia asked.

Ginny shook her head, "Nope. I've got this. It shouldn't be too much longer."

Amelia watched as the Mandrake screamed in Ginny's face. It kicked and squirmed so much, she was afraid Ginny would lose her grip on it.

"Actually if you could help that'd be fantastic." Ginny surrendered. "I've never been good at this Herbology stuff."

Amelia gripped the feet of the Mandrake and shoved them into the pot. "While I hold the legs, you pour the rest of the fertilizer in. After that, we can pack it down together."

Ginny nodded and quickly dumped the rest of the fertilizer into the pot. She and Amelia then packed the soil tightly around the Mandrake, making it snug and warm.

"There. Not too hard. The secret's in the feet. They're stronger than you think. Make sure you hold to them next time."

"I'm glad someone has an idea of what's going on here." Ginny said, "This is my worst class."

Amelia almost didn't say anything at all. She almost let her leave. But something called out to her, forcing her to open her mouth and speak.

"I could tutor you, if you want. I'm here most of the time after classes end for the day so if you ever need help I can try."

Ginny looked at her for just a moment before breaking out into an infectious smile, "That would be brilliant. You sure you don't mind."

"Not at all." Amelia replied.

The red head held out her hand, "Then it's a deal." Amelia tentatively took Ginny's hand and shook.

The remainder of her day went by without consequence. She formally met Professor R.J. Lupin, as he was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He was very kind and seemed more knowledgeable on the subject than their previous instructor.

This signaled the completion of their school day and the beginning of Amelia's extracurriculars. She bid farewell to her roommates and broke off into an empty corridor to make her way to the greenhouses.

While she was walking, she began noticing the shadows lining the walls and bending around the corners. The more they looked at them, the more human-like they appeared. She was frightened. She could feel her heart beat unsteadily, pounding in her chest. She thought it was going to hurl itself up her throat as she rounded a corner when she ran straight into Neville.

"Are you on your way to the greenhouses, Mel?" He asked her, not detecting any fear in her eyes.

She nodded and nervously gripped her bag. "Yeah, I just finished Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin is great."

The pair started toward the greenhouses together, Amelia's nerves significantly eased. With the distraction of Neville's conversation, the shadows didn't seem so daunting anymore.

"How was Herbology today?" Neville asked, slinging his school bag over his shoulder.

Amelia shrugged. "Fine. It was Mandrakes day."

"Were you incredibly bored?"

"You know I wasn't. I love the Mandrakes. The fresh batch is even better than last year's."

They entered the greenhouses side-by-side, in perfect step with one another. Professor Sprout smiled at the pair of them.

"There you are! I was wondering when you two would get here."

"We were just talking, Professor." Neville answered, "Amelia was telling me about the Mandrakes."

"Ah, yes. I'm terribly sorry to bore you, Miss Malfoy. I know how well you know the Mandrakes already. Unfortunately, not everyone can have your passion."

Amelia blushed, "It's not a problem. I love them."

"At least someone does. The Slytherins and Ravenclaws did not do very well in repotting today and there's dirt everywhere. I need you two to sweep it up for me, if you don't mind. After that, I need help setting up for tomorrow's classes."

Amelia and Neville smiled at each other before starting on their work. To her, a day wasn't complete without rolling up her sleeves and getting dirt on her face and in her hair. She loved returning to the common room smelling like the outdoors.

She worked for an hour or so, dirt covering her uniform and streaking her cheeks. The Slytherins and Ravenclaws really hadn't done a good job, since it seemed that the majority of the dirt in the room was on tables or on the floor.

"So sorry you two have to clean up other people's messes. I would make them clean it up themselves but they never listen to me. Not those Slytherins." Professor Sprout sighed, "It's sad to say but many of them seem to only respect Professor Snape. I know there are plenty of good children in that house but they just don't know any better. Hopefully someday they'll learn the difference between right and wrong."

Amelia was quiet.

Neville stepped in for her, "I'm sure you're right, Professor."

"Not to mention those awful parents. If I remember correctly, there's a fair few of Death Eater's children in this school. Teaching awful beliefs isn't going to get us anywhere. And the abuse they must face. I can't even imagine." Professor Sprout was looking at Amelia now.

She looked at her solemnly, then changed her gaze to Neville. He was looking at her sincerely, as if he wanted her to say something. It was then that she realized everyone else knew what she was supposed to say, she just refused to say it.

"My father doesn't abuse me." Her voice shook.

"Oh, Miss Malf- Amelia, I didn't mean to-"

"He doesn't." She stood up boldly and dusted off her skirt. "I think I should get some homework done." She grabbed her things and made a mad dash for the exit.

While she walked, she heard Neville running behind her. He kept calling her name but she refused to look back. Her eyes stung with tears.

Finally, when he reached her, she spun around and confronted him.

"Why would you tell her? I told you that in confidence!"

He looked stunned, "Amelia! Your father is not supposed to hit you!"

"He doesn't hit me." Lie. "It was just that one time." Lie.

"I know that's not true. I saw the bruises, Amelia, I just didn't say anything. I figured you'd be smart enough to talk to me."

She covered her face with her hands, "I thought I could trust you, Neville. I thought we were best friends."

"We are best friends, Mel." Neville said this gently as he took her hands in his and held them. "I care about you and I can't sit by and watch you get hurt unfairly. You weren't going to do anything about it so I did. I'm sorry if I betrayed your confidence. You can trust me."

She looked up at him, into his deep brown eyes, and held his stare for a few seconds. She smiled and sniffed pathetically. "I'm sorry. I'm probably overreacting. You were right to tell Professor Sprout."

"I won't tell her anything else if you don't want me to. I don't even know why I did. I guess I was just scared."

"Don't be scared. Father has another job at the Ministry now so he's not as stressed out as he was this summer. I don't think he'll do it again."

Neville looked unsure but he nodded, "Alright. Just promise me you'll tell me if anything else happens."

"I will."

"Good." He smiled at her kindly and released her hands. The warmth from them stayed with her even after they parted ways. She was grateful for it.


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Fall

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Sixteen: Fall**

The wind blew wickedly and unforgivably. It bit at Amelia's skin and blistered. Her black and yellow striped scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck, her golden hair whipping at her face.

It was unusually cold, despite it being November, and the other Quidditch spectators were just as bundled up as Amelia was. The cheering around her rang proud and true, as Hufflepuff was taking on their toughest competitor, Gryffindor.

She had never been one for the sport, being afraid of heights and painful injuries made that opinion quite resolute, but something about the spirit drew her in. That and Neville wanted her to come.

"What a game!" Daniella cried beside her, waving her badger flag wildly. "Diggory better catch the Snitch soon."

"He's got to beat Harry first." Amelia reminded her.

Daniella scoffed, "That's nothing. Potter is all talk."

Amelia wasn't so sure. She had seen Harry in the Quidditch pitch before and he was relentless.

She even heard rumors of his first game ever, where he made a spectacular catch via mouth. Her brother had complained about that for days.

"I'm going to go find Neville." Amelia decided aloud.

Daniella glanced at her, "If you want."

Amelia didn't know what that meant but she tugged her cloak closer to her and left the Hufflepuff section to go find Neville. Unfortunately, before she could force her way to the staircase, she heard screaming.

She whirled around to see someone on a broom high above the clouds. They were surrounded by dark creatures, dementors. Amelia felt her heart seize up; her palms went sweaty. The crowd around her seemed to constrict.

Everything happened all at once. Cedric Diggory caught the Snitch and Harry Potter fell from his height above the pitch. His broom tumbled beside him as his limbs flailed about. Amelia held back a scream with her gloved hand and stumbled backwards into someone behind her.

"You're alright." The person said, holding onto her arms.

Across the pitch, she saw Professor Dumbledore rise with his wand extended. He yelled something above the alarmed shouts that slowed Harry's body down to the point where he landed on the ground safely. The dementors disappeared.

"Everyone report to your common rooms immediately." Professor McGonagall said over the speakers.

"Did we win?" Amelia heard Hufflepuff students asking around her, as if Harry hadn't almost died.

"Unbelievable." The person was still holding her. She forced on a smile to greet her brother. "It's typical that Potter would ruin a perfectly good Quidditch match with his dramatics."

"Draco, he fell. He was attacked by dementors."

"Sure. Probably just wanted to make it seem like he was attacked so he'd have a decent excuse as to why he wasn't anywhere near the Snitch. He had no chance against Diggory."

Amelia was surprised, "Was that a compliment to a Hufflepuff? I don't recall that ever happening before."

"A broken clock is right twice a day." Draco sighed sagely.

"Still, I hope Harry is okay."

He rolled his eyes, "He's fine. Dumbledore made sure of it." He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and let out a puff of air. Amelia looked around at the student filing out of the stands. Neither of them spoke for several beats.

At last, Amelia grew tired of the silence. "Aren't your friends waiting for you? I'm sure they want you to find some first years to bully."

He acted as though this idea just dawned on him, "Ah, yes. I was going to ask you if you wanted to join us, but I see you're going to be too busy Muggle-loving and petitioning for some stupid animal."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked defensively.

"It means that when I see you talking to Hermione Granger about a hippogriff, I start to think certain things about you. Certain things that would make father very unhappy."

"Buckbeak wasn't doing anything wrong. He was just protecting himself from you. You had no idea how to properly treat him."

Draco got in her face, "Buckbeak was an untamed, wild monster that shouldn't have been anywhere near students. I'm surprised that savage hasn't killed us yet."

"Where did you get that idea? Father?"

"What's gotten into you lately? Back talking? That's not like you, Amelia." Draco said, "Maybe Mother and Father should consider transferring you to Beauxbatons."

She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to spit in his smug, arrogant face. But she knew that only had one consequence. And she was not ready to face that yet. Instead, she curled her hands into fists and left him behind.

He didn't bother calling after her, for which she was glad. She didn't want to make a scene, as there would surely be gossip about the two Malfoy siblings arguing.

Amelia went straight to the common room and wanted to go up to the dormitory to fume by herself but there were too many people in her path to make it. They were gathering around Cedric Diggory, who was standing on one of the couches.

"It's not fair that we won the match while Harry was being attacked. If I had any idea that he was facing those dementors I would have gone straight up to help." A few people murmured that they would have too. "If it's alright with the rest of you, I'd like to offer up a rematch. That way they won't have any disadvantages. We can beat them fair and square."

The room burst into applause and cheers. Amelia found herself smiling. Whether this was caused by the pride in the room or Cedric's infectious charms, she wasn't sure. She was strangely happy considering her latest conversation.

One of the prefects dashed out of the common room and returned a few minutes later with Professor McGonagall in tow. She looked vexed, to say the least, and tired. Amelia guessed she was worried about Harry.

"Can I help you?" She asked calmly.

"Professor," Cedric began, "We'd like to offer up a rematch in light of today's events at the match. I just don't see how it's fair that we won while Potter was getting attacked."

The professor smiled, "That's very kind of you but unfortunately there is no such thing as a rematch. It's set in stone. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."

"But there must be something." Cedric insisted. "It wouldn't be right. I wouldn't feel good about today's victory unless Gryffindor got some recognition."

Professor McGonagall considered this, "I'm sure I can think of something. Let me know if you come to any ideas on your own, Mr. Diggory. If you'd like, Mr. Potter is awake and is ready for visitors. I appreciate the great initiative and kindness it took for you all to come to me today."

"Almost all the house is here, Professor." Cedric answered, "We're all very certain about this."

"Then I'm sure as a house you can figure something out. Now, pardon me while I grade these papers. Some of them are quite dreadful." She said this very seriously but Amelia detected a twinkle in her eye.

It was this side of the Transfiguration teacher that Amelia liked the most. The mysterious, playful, intelligent look in her eyes hinted at the youth she had once held. If she was braver, she might have asked her questions about her past. Surely, she had led a fascinating life. But she was Amelia and Amelia was no Gryffindor.

Being reminded of this fact, that she was neither brave, like Neville, nor ambitious, like the whole of her family, nor intelligent, like her father wished her to be, put her in a rather rotten mood. She spent hours thinking about how she wasn't worth it and wondered why Neville, sweet, brave Neville even bothered with her.

Later that night, she was lying in her bed scanning through her recently completed homework assignments. She could feel someone watching her and when she glanced to see Daniella pretending to read her Potions textbook.

Amelia pretended that she hadn't seen this. She returned to her work and dutifully made editorial notes in the margins.

"Can I ask you a question?" Daniella had set down her book. Amelia answered by looking up. "Where do you go? You're hardly ever here. We hardly know you. And I thought we were going to be friends."

Amelia set down her own work somewhat harshly, "If you really must know I'm in the greenhouses most of the time. It's quiet there, easy to work. Not that it's any of your business."

"I'm sorry." Daniella said, "I didn't realize I was insulting you by wondering why you're never here. I apologize for wanting to get to know someone who I have to room with until I graduate. I'm also sorry that we did something to you to make you never want to talk to us or be in the same room as us for too long."

Amelia instantly felt bad. She bit her lip and looked down at her shoes. "Look, I don't mean to. It's easy to talk to Neville. I know he won't judge me for my brother and parents. Not everyone feels the same way he does. Don't think I don't notice the looks I get from people when I talk to Draco in the halls."

"Well anyone who's looking can see that you and Neville have something special." Daniella said, her voice gentler than before, "I'm not sure anyone can compete with that. And I'm not asking to take his place. I'm just asking to be a part of your life."

"I'm willing to try." Amelia relented, "I could start to do my homework here instead of in the library."

Daniella smiled, "You should! We always do homework together and it's fun."

"Homework? Fun? I doubt that."

"That's why you should stick around so you can find out for yourself."

The girls smiled at each other. Amelia made a promise to herself then, a promise that she wouldn't run from people who wanted to know her. Because the people who tried, meant it. They would not sit idly by while she was screamed at. Not like other people she knew.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Holly

_**These characters belong J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Seventeen: Holly**

Amelia stared out her bedroom window solemnly. The snow falling from the dark clouds above seemed endless. She couldn't see past the flakes right in front of her. Beside her, Richard slept peacefully.

Despite the roaring fire keeping her bedroom warm and her thick sweater, Amelia was cold. This kind of chill was not from the winter weather raging outside, but rather, her loneliness.

She could hear her brother and parents talking downstairs. She was fairly certain that they were discussing her and her "dramatic mood swings". Ever since she had confronted Draco, he had been acting strange around her. This was probably why.

Still, it was not their company she was looking for. She missed Neville. She missed Daniella. She missed Professor Sprout and the greenhouses. She missed her cozy hiding place above the common room. But mostly, she missed Neville.

It was unfair that she was called back home by her parents for Christmas. There were plenty of students who stayed behind and ended up having a fabulous time. Why couldn't that be her?

"Amelia, dear. It's time to open gifts, please come downstairs." Her mother called up the stairs.

Without replying, she obediently went downstairs. There, her family was gathered around the obnoxiously large Christmas tree.

There were minimal presents for Amelia this year. She could see one from Draco and two from her friends back at school. Other than that, there was one small package buried at the back of the pile.

She was still happy to sit by and watch Draco open his presents and their parents feign excitement over the presents they got each other.

This was a significantly smaller Christmas than the Malfoys had experienced in the past. Usually, it was an affair that rivaled that of the Christmas party thrown at the Ministry.

So far, there had been very few insults thrown in Amelia's direction, though it seemed that her father was in a permanent bad mood.

Her brother's present to her, a book discussing the importance of maintaining purity within a blood line, sat next to her as well as a new school bad Daniella had sent the day before. Draco had similar items

"Amelia, why don't you open another one? Amelia's mother interrupted her husband's tale about defeating a centaur when he was fresh out of Hogwarts.

Amelia opened her gift from her from her parents then, the one tucked far beneath the tree. When she came out from under it, she had pine needles in her hair.

Lucius clicked his tongue in disapproval, "Someone needs to learn to manage her appearance."

Uncomfortable glances were exchanged at this comment. But Amelia disregarded it and continued to unwrap her present. She was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn't another object glorifying pureblood extremism. Instead, it was a large, leather bound notebook with various quills and inks.

"Writing supplies." Her mother answered, "I know how much you like to write that story of yours and I thought you might need a new notebook."

This was true. Amelia had long ago run out of pages in the journal Draco had given her last Christmas and had resorted to writing on old pieces of parchment and napkins.

"Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Father." She replied, flipping through the empty pages, imagining the things she could write on them.

"Alright. Is that all of them?" Lucius said, standing up, "I have business to attend to."

Without another word, he left the room, Draco following closely in his footsteps. Narcissa eyed the final package before smiling at her daughter and leaving as well.

Amelia took up the sloppily wrapped gift and smiled. It was clear what it was: small, rectangular, firm. Knowing what it was comforted her, in some odd way. The consistency was a fresh change to the tumultuous life she was living with her father.

She glanced behind her before carefully ripping the paper off the gift. She smiled wider at the amusing cover of her latest Muggle novel. On it was a green planet with a grinning mouth and thin arms. It looked ridiculous and marvelous all at once.

Amelia gathered her gifts and ran up to her bedroom. The writing supplies fit perfectly on her desk and the book was thin enough to be slid into the topmost corner of her bookshelf, where she wouldn't be able to think about it.

She threw herself onto the window seat with her book, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and began to read. Slowly, the day grew dark and the snow on their enormous lawn greyed.

When her eyes began to hurt from the constant reading, she set the book on her bedside table and stood to stretch. She looked out the window again but this time caught sight of him in the reflection.

From his posture alone, she could tell he was angry. Her body tensed and she instinctively reached for her wand, only to remember it was buried beneath her dirty clothes at the bottom of her trunk.

"Amelia." Her father said only this word but it sounded bitter coming his mouth. She could taste his poison. "I need to have a discussion with you."

"Where's mother?"

"She does not need to be involved in this." He stepped closer to her. Each clunk of his shoes on the hardwood floor made her wince. "I have received word that you are not putting yourself out there like I requested you to. I'm curious as to why you have disobeyed my orders."

"Father, I-"

"Did I say you could speak?!" He cried, reaching out and slapping her.

She grit her teeth and looked at the ground. She cowered beneath his powerful shadow.

"I am your father." He shoved her to the ground. "I am to be respected and praised." He kicked her in the stomach. "How am I supposed to maintain my household when my children do not obey my rules?" He pushed her into the wall.

Amelia stared up at him. Her vision was blurry, either from the tears gliding down her cheeks or the multiple blows to the head. She watched him come towards her, drawing his wand. He was a man on a very clear mission. Then he stopped. His eyes glinted over to a spot behind her. Amelia glanced and saw her new book from Neville sitting on the bedside table.

"What is this?" He slowly walked over and picked it up. "This is a Muggle book? Since when have you owned Muggle literature? Since when could you read such things? Since when have I allowed garbage in home ?" He ripped the cover and several pages from the book.

His wand shot back up as the book was flung across the room. Amelia cried out, not in pain but in agony. She hadn't heard him say the word but she felt the word and she knew its power.

In the moments before she blacked out, she wondered many things. She wondered if Neville would be angry with her. She wondered where Draco and Mother were and why they weren't stopping it. She wondered if this would finally kill her. She wondered if she would wake up again. But mostly, she wondered if this was what she deserved.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Confession

**Chapter Eighteen: Confession**

Amelia hadn't spoken to Neville about the incident since they'd returned to Hogwarts. She hadn't really spoken to anyone. She was not brave enough to confront her father about his treatment or to talk to anyone about it. If she did, she knew she would be looked at differently.

Instead of spending the rest of the holiday with his family, Lucius invited over his menacing friends and drank fire whiskey until his breath smelled foul and he took out his aggression and stress on Amelia.

Each time, Narcissa stood in the next room, wincing with every cry, turning the other way, ignoring the truth. But when it was done, she steadied her daughter, healed her cuts and covered the bruises with a concealment charm. That way, no one would ask questions.

So far, Neville hadn't. However, Amelia doubted this was because he hadn't noticed. She could feel his worried eyes on her the moment they reunited.

At first, Amelia believed that the problem had gone away; that she wouldn't have to think about her father's slaps or his murderous friends or explain her odd, jittery behavior.

She believed this quite firmly until she woke up in the middle of the night about a two weeks after Christmas from a nightmare. Her heart was beating wildly and the sweat on her face was sticky.

Quietly, so as not to stir the girls, she went to the bathroom, switching on the light only after she had closed and locked the door. Amelia stared at herself in the mirror and was taken aback. The sweat had dampened her hair, making it stick to the sides of her face. The bruises on her face seemed darker.

She quickly washed her face of the sweat and grime. Amelia looked back at her bed and decided that she did not want to bring more nightmares upon herself so she grabbed her notebook and book and slipped up to her attic space.

Amelia stayed up there until she saw the sun begin to peak over the mountains. She quickly stored her possessions behind a discarded barrel and hurried out of the common room toward the Gryffindor dormitories.

The walk was cold, as none of the morning fires had been lit by the house-elves yet, so Amelia pulled her cloak tighter around her. Her bare feet were frozen on the stone floor so she moved swiftly. Her braid had begun to come apart, giving her the appearance of pure unkemptness.

She reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and stared up at her. She was beautiful, despite her gaudy accessories that weighed her down. Amelia didn't want to wake her but she had to speak to Neville.

She gently knocked on the portrait, startling the Lady.

"My, my what do we have here? A little girl who's managed to sneak past me in the night to visit her little friends?" She examined her face. "No...you're no Gryffindor. What do you think you're doing here, trying to get into my common room?"

"Oh no, my lady." Amelia replied politely, "You misunderstand my intentions. I have no wish to enter your common room without permission from my friend. He's a third year, you see. I was hoping I could speak with him. Do you have any way of contacting him?"

The Fat Lady seemed perplexed at Amelia's fine oratory skills. This was merely another example of Amelia's fine breeding and a childhood in a place of unforgiving propriety.

"Why...yes. Let me see what I can do. You said he was a third year?"

"Yes, my lady. His name is Neville Longbottom. If you would tell him Amelia is here to see him."

The Fat Lady bowed her head and disappeared behind a wall.

Amelia waited patiently, ignoring the agonizing chill of the ground on her toes. She shivered and was about to give up hope when the portrait swung open to reveal Neville, who looked as though he had just woken up.

"Amelia!" He said, "What are you doing up-"

Then he saw the bruises.

"When did you get those?"

"Over holiday."

He shook his head, "They weren't there yesterday."

"My mother taught me a concealment charm. Hides them well until the next day. I've been placing it on them so you wouldn't see." Amelia felt herself close to falling apart.

Neville looked her over, noticing her cloak and bare feet. "Merlin, Amelia. Come inside. We'll sit by the fire. No one will be up for hours."

Amelia sat on the couch gratefully pulling her feet up beneath her. Neville retrieved a blanket from a trunk and placed it on their laps, sitting close to her. She could feel his warm breath on her cheeks and smell his soap. It comforted her beyond words.

"I've had a nightmare." Amelia began, her lip trembling. "About my father. It seemed to be a repetition of what happened over holiday."

Neville stiffened, "What happened over holiday?"

"He got angry at me." Amelia replied simply.

"The bruises. He hit you?"

"Neville-"

"Don't deny it this time! I can see the bruises for myself, I know what they mean."

Amelia smiled in spite of herself, "I wasn't going to deny it, Nev. I came to tell you how scared I am."

"How often does he do it?" Neville asked, taking her cold hands in his and warming them.

"Almost everyday, usually after a meeting with his friends." She sucked in her cheeks to keep herself from sobbing uncontrollably. "That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about. My father has been holding meetings at our home."

"What kind of meetings?" Neville asked, his breath catching. Amelia guessed that he knew exactly what kind of meetings they were.

She began to cry, "I've always known my father had been a Death Eater in the first war. I guess I just assumed he had left that life behind him. I was wrong. Their meetings haven't been this frequent my whole life. I'm afraid that something may be coming. Something dreadful."

"But You-Know-Who is dead. Harry destroyed him."

"I know that. But I don't know what else it could be." She was finding it harder to speak as more tears fell. "I don't want my father to be evil."

Neville's face got hard and angry, "Your father hits you, Amelia. A real, kind father shouldn't abuse you the way yours does. A real family wouldn't stand aside like yours. You deserve to be loved and cared for, Amelia. Not frightened to enter your own home."

"I don't think I do. I'm afraid I'm destined to be just like them."

"No." Neville replied firmly, "You are not like them. You never will be. I can promise you that right now." His hands tightened around hers and he held her there, steadfast in his pledge to her.

Amelia looked up into his dark eyes, and felt something tug in her stomach. She did not know what it was, but it made her feel sick. Her mouth went dry and she nodded as if she was in a trance.

"Thank you, Neville. I don't know how I can thank you. You've been more of a friend than I could have ever hoped for. I don't know where I'd be without you."

Neville said nothing, only smiled and held her close while she warmed herself by the now-roaring fire. She felt happier than she had during all of the holiday. If she could stay here for the remainder of her life, perhaps she wouldn't despise herself so much.

Amelia could feel herself start to drift off but was woken up again by Neville.

"I'm sorry, Mel. People will be waking up soon for classes. I would skip with you but the last time I missed a day of classes, I got a Howler from my Gran the next day. I don't know how she found out. I can walk you back to your common room if you wish."

Amelia shook her head, "I'll be fine." She stood up and smiled one last time at him. "I'll see you soon."

When she got back to her common room, she was pleased to find the other girls still asleep. The less questions she was asked about her situation the better. She was not sure if she'd be able to survive them.

She quickly brushed her long hair and put on her uniform, wishing only to be back in the company of Neville again. Everyone else made her feel anxious. He quieted her mind.

They met again in the Great Hall, the other students milling about with their breakfasts. She saw Neville sitting by himself at the end of the Gryffindor table, his knee bouncing up and down.

"What are you so nervous for?" She asked, sitting down across from him.

He smiled at her and shook his head, "Nothing. Just an examination today in Potions. Professor Snape already dislikes me and I'm sure he'll fail me on purpose."

"I don't think Professor Snape has the gall to do that." Amelia insisted, "Whenever he comes to my house he seems very stoic but not an evil sort of man."

Neville interrupted her, "Wait. Professor Snape comes to your house? What for?"

"He and my father have been friends for years. I've known him all my life." She noticed the dangerous look on Neville face and frowned. "You think he's a Death Eater."

"Has he been coming around your house more often? Does he come with the other friends?"

It clicked in Amelia's mind then. "He does. But surely he can't be. He doesn't seem the type." But as she said it, she knew that Professor Snape was precisely the type to be a Death Eater.

"What's Dumbledore doing employing a man like that in a school? He could hurt us!"

"Please, lower your voice, Nev!" Amelia said, glancing at the students around them who had begun to stare. "I don't think Professor Snape would hurt us. He's been a teacher for some time now, hasn't he? If he wanted to hurt us, he would have by now."

Neville looked down at her. She saw something in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. But she knew she had convinced him to calm his fears.

"Will you be at the greenhouses after classes today?" She asked, smirking at him.

This made him smile back, "Of course. And you?"

"Wouldn't dream of missing it."


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Assessment

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Nineteen:** **Assessment**

Exams came all too soon for Amelia. She was not in the best state of mind to have to worry about studying for all her classes on top of everything else.

Luckily, Neville was a great study companion, mostly because he was just as nervous as her. He was not the most scholarly person Amelia knew, not that he didn't care, he just couldn't get a grasp on the topics. Together, they were hopeless.

Their time in the library was spent mostly on talking about Herbology until they realized how late it was, leading them to scramble for notes. Madame Pince found this sight rather hysterical and secretly planned a loud, disruptive sound around the same time every night to startle them into actually working.

When they left for the evening, the old librarian would always stop Amelia, ask her about her latest Muggle book, and recommend another one from her collection. The young Hufflepuff was always glad for the advice and sweetly thanked Madame Pince before leaving with her friend.

Amelia, who only assumed Madame Pince was being kind to her, appreciated the attention. Without her, she would have no idea how to further her education in Muggle literature.

One evening, about two days before the last of her exams, Amelia and Neville were studying for Potions. Neville looked quite unhappy and Amelia felt sick. How had they learned all of this in one year? Surely he had given them the wrong material. Second years couldn't learn all this.

"Amelia." A low, growly voice said. Draco had not spoken to her in quite some time so she was not very used to his voice. "Do you have time to speak with me right now?"

"Sure." She replied, not moving.

"Shall we talk out in the corridor?"

"You can talk here. Neville isn't going to tell anyone. And I would end up telling him anyway."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine. I would like to apologize for the way I behaved over holiday. I knew Father was hitting you and I did nothing even though I could have."

"Why did you let it happen?" Amelia asked, feeling herself get upset. "If you knew he was hurting me, how could you let that happen?"

Neville placed a hand on her shoulder gently, "Amelia, maybe you shouldn't-"

"I don't understand how you could sit there, listening to you baby sister be beaten to unconsciousness and do nothing."

"Amelia, please, I wanted to help. But I was afraid of what he'd do to me. If I tried to step in, he would only have hurt me too. I know I should have done something, I know that you've been hurting and I wish I can fix that but I can't. Isn't that enough?"

Amelia looked at her brother and looked at him and looked. But as much as she looked and stared at a boy she'd known her whole life, she realized she did not recognize him.

"It's enough." She decided. "It's enough for now."

"Thank you." Draco looked at Neville and, for once, didn't pull a face. "And thank you for being her friend, Longbottom."

"It's been my pleasure." Neville replied simply.

Amelia felt her smile grow. Here were two of the most important boys in her life and they were actually, finally, maybe, being civil.

"Well I've got to get going." Draco said, "I've got an assignment to finish for Care of Magical Creatures."

"It's easy. Doesn't take long at all." Neville said quietly.

"Oh.." Draco looked perplexed. "Thanks. I'll see you soon, Amelia."

For the first time in several weeks, months, years, Amelia wanted her him to stay. She and Neville shared a look and smile before continuing their work.

Only a minute later, Neville interrupted. "Draco was acting strange."

"Maybe a little. But he's usually like that at home."

"Really? He seems normalish."

"It's because-" Amelia was about to explain that Draco looked up to their father and yearned to impress him. Because of that, he acted like Lucius in public, where others could see and feel, and befriended people simply for the strategicness of it all. Amelia didn't know how kindly Neville would take this information.

"It's because he's had a lot on his mind. Our grandfather died right before he came to Hogwarts and it really hurt him."

Neville knew this was a lie. But he did not question it. Instead, he wondered how Amelia could lie to him so often and keep so much from him and still consider him a friend.

On the last day of exams, Amelia was relieved and satisfied. That is, she was satisfied with every one of her classes except Transfiguration. It was with a sour mind that she approached Professor McGonagall's exam room.

Professor McGonagall was walking around the room to each student asking them to perform various incantations for her. Amelia had, so far, failed in doing two of the four that had been done. She was on the verge of tears.

Then, like a guiding light, a hopelessly optimistic voice said, "Hey, are you alright?"

It was Ginny Weasley. Amelia wanted to roll her eyes because for the past two years, Ginny had been top of the Transfiguration class. Of course she had seen her struggling.

"I'm-I'm fine." Amelia lied.

Ginny frowned, "You're lying. What's wrong?"

"I'm fine." Amelia said again. "I'm..." She saw the look on Ginny's face and changed her mind. "I'm useless at Transfiguration. I'll never pass these exams."

Ginny glanced at McGonagall before whispering, "Don't grip your wand so tightly. Relax. And turn your hand until you can see the biggest vein in your wrist. I've found it's the best angle. And enunciate." She said this last bit quickly before McGonagall arrived.

"Miss Weasley. Please use the spell, Vera Verto."

Ginny nodded and quickly produced from her tiny owl, a clear, glass cup.

"Excellent." She came to Amelia. "Please repeat Miss Weasley's feat, Miss Malfoy."

Amelia glanced at Ginny before doing just as she had instructed. She was in awe when Richard successfully turned into a cup.

"Wonderful improvement. You are dismissed."

Amelia grinned, turned Richard back into himself, and followed Ginny out of the classroom.

"Thank you! I never would have made it out of there alive!" Amelia told Ginny.

Ginny smiled. "It's no problem. Fred is top of his class in Trnasfiguration and he's taught me everything I know. I'd be happy to help you out. And once I get you caught up to me, Fred is more than willing to share his limited knowledge with anyone."

Ginny emphasized the word anyone with such force that Amelia's heart stopped momentarily. She stopped smiling. Ginny realized her mistkae.

"Oh, I-"

"It's okay." Amelia said quickly, not wanting to deal with it. "I'd love to be taught by you and your bother."

"Brilliant!" Ginny exclaimed. "I can't wait! Hey, you have a lovely summer, alright? I'll see you next term!"

Ginny's excitement was infectious, making Amelia smile and return to farewell to the bubbly redhead. She was pleased in thinking that perhaps she had made a new friend in the world.


	20. Chapter Twenty: Recollection

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Twenty: Recollection**

The Great Hall felt warmer than it had in days, which was unwelcome since a heat wave had begun to signal the start of summer holiday. So, it was humid and hot and nearly everyone was sweating but nobody really cared because school was over and Professor Dumbledore was about to let them start eating their dinner.

Amelia, because she could not sit with Neville, sat contently between Daniella and Violet, who had recently argued with Carmen, her best friend, and had taken to joining the two of them on their short and limited adventures.

Amelia didn't mind. Violet was kind and allowed them to glance at her assignments.

"Why does he keep talking?" Daniella whined. "I'm so hungry."

"He's a genius, Daniella." Violet scolded. "Geniuses are allowed to speak for as long as they want."

Amelia had no opinion on this matter, so she let her companions quarrel, as they often did. For some reason, Daniella and Violet always seemed to find something to fight about, things that were usually insignificant.

Professor Dumbledore did eventually finish talking about the value of friendship and knowledge and waved his hand, summoning all of the glorious food for their feast.

While Amelia ate, she listened to her fellow Hufflepuffs talk about their summers and the fun they were about to have with their families. Amelia liked to imagine her family doing those things and then laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. If her family decided to go on a trip it was to Paris and they only ever stayed in their home and visited with the French magical nobility.

"Did you hear what Harry Potter and his friends did?" An older student asked Daniella.

"No! What happened?" She replied.

"Sirius Black broke into the school, kidnapped Harry and took him to the Shrieking Shack to kill him. Luckily, Hermione and Ron told Professor Snape because he went down and captured Black. He got the Kiss almost right away."

"Wow. Are they okay?"

"Harry seems fine, happy even. I bet he's glad he got him off his tail."

Daniella hummed her agreement.

Amelia listened to this with interest. If Sirius Black really had been captured, then perhaps her father would no longer be in his bad mood. Maybe he would once again be the kind, instructive father he had been when she was young.

This idea made Amelia smile and put her in a very good mood. So good a mood, in fact, that when she and Neville met later, he was disturbed by her demeanor.

"What happened to get you like this?"

Amelia shrugged, "I suppose I'm just glad Sirius Black has been caught."

"Really? That's all?"

"Well, not _all_. I was just thinking that maybe now I won't have to really worry about him hurting me this summer. The thing stressing him out isn't around anymore."

Neville was not convinced, this she could see in his eyes, but he put on a fake smile and replied, "Yeah, maybe."

"Are you going to the World Cup?" Amelia asked him, detecting his desire to talk about other things.

He smiled, "Seamus and Dean are taking me. Are you?"

"Unfortunately." She sighed, "My father bought the tickets eons ago and now we're getting them for free and we have to sit with the Minister. Originally, I wasn't going but my mother has no event that night so I'm being forced to go."

"Forced to go." Neville mused. "I know very little who would say they were forced to go to the World Cup."

"I've never been a fan." Amelia said with distaste. "But still, if you're going to be there, there's a chance it will be a little more tolerable."

"But you're in the Minister's box. I won't be anywhere near that, I'm afraid."

"Even if you aren't I can find you afterwards. Merlin knows I'll need to speak with someone sane by then. My brother goes absolutely bonkers around Quidditch."

"Just tell me a time and a place and I'll be there." He said sincerely. Amelia blushed.

Amelia was not usually brave enough to sneak out of the dormitories after hours, but considering it was their last day before holiday, she was willing to bend the rules.

So, they walked side by side on the shore of the Black Lake, staring at the full moon reflecting off the dark water. She could hear the water lapping against the rocks and the songs of the merpeople below.

She remembered a time when, she had been young, too young to properly remember. Years aho, when she was five, her father and mother brought she and her brother to the Black Lake. Their father had business to attend to at the castle and while they waited for him, their mother had the idea to have a picnic on the beach. She had rallied a few of the house elves from the Hogwarts kitchen to make them tea and lunch and made sure the merpeople stayed far away from her children.

"Where'd you go?" She heard Neville ask.

She blinked and smiled. "Oh, nowhere. Just thinking about something I hadn't though about in a long time."

Neville seemed to understand this. "What was it about?"

Amelia almost didn't tell him. But then she decided that above all others, he was the one who would not judge her for this memory.

She told him about the picnic and the way the grains of sand felt beneath and between her tiny toes. She recalled the way her brother made her giggle and fall over and the games they played.

Without even realizing it, she began to cry. She had not known how precious this memory was to her until now.

Neville frowned at her tears and wiped at them with the sleeve of his sweater.

"You would love Brighton." He said quietly. "The beach is gorgeous there. My house is right on the water too. The perfect view."

"That sounds lovely. I would love to visit sometime."

"Maybe after the World Cup." Neville said with false hope.

"Maybe." Amelia replied with just as much doubt.

It hurt them both that they were best friends, so close and important to the other and yet were kept apart from unfair circumstances. Amelia wished, more than anything, that someday they would be together without worry of separation. But she was only a partial romantic. The other, logical, side of her knew this would likely never be.

"It's getting late." Neville noticed.

"That's okay."

"We'll be tired tomorrow."

"We'll sleep on the train. I want to stay out here just a little longer, alright?"

Neville's face grew red when he looked at her. "Alright. Just a little while longer."

"That's all I want." Amelia answered, smiling, kicking off her shoes and dipping her toes into the cool water.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: Impact

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Twenty-One: Impact**

"I don't want to go." Amelia told her mother quietly. "I don't even like Quidditch."

Her mother clicked her tongue, "Your father specifically requested that you go with him and Draco. It's best not to question him."

"I know." Amelia muttered, "I have the bruises to prove it. But it is a question as to why he actually wants to spend time with me."

"Don't think about those things now." Her mother scolded, "Just enjoy yourself, my dear. You will be sharing a box with the Minister of Magic himself. Surely that will raise your spirits."

Amelia wanted to tell her that she had no interest in the Minister of Magic or sharing a box with him. She would much rather stay at home with Richard, reading a book.

"Amelia, my dear." Her mother sighed, "I know that you and your father are not in best place right now He's going through a lot. Can you please try to forgive him and bond with him? I'm sure he'd enjoy it. Why else would he want you to come with him today?"

Amelia looked at her hands and sighed, "Okay I'll try."

Her mother smiled. "Lovely. Now bundle up. It will be chilly."

Amelia's least favorite form of transportation was Apparation. It curled her stomach and made her vision blurry every time. Despite her quiet protests, her father insisted that he apparate them to the arena himself. Afterwards, Amelia was silent and curled over herself for a few minutes.

The smile on her father's face seemed irreplaceable. This was the first time in a long time, maybe forever, that Amelia had seen him so excited for something. If she asked anyone else, they would guess it was because of the match or the quality time he was spending with his children. If she asked herself, she would guess it involved the Minister.

"Ah, Lucius." The Minister greeted them. "These are your children, I presume."

"That's correct, Cornelius. This is my son, Draco. He'll be entering his fourth year at Hogwarts. And Amelia here is a third year."

"My, my, young lady you look quite green." The Minister pointed out.

Lucius nodded and laughed slightly, "Yes, she has a bit of a weak stomach. She'll be feeling better soon."

"Well now, let's speed that up, shall we. Nymphy?" Form the shadows, a small house elf joined them, looking rather timid. "Fetch Miss Malfoy here a nausea remedy from the infirmary. Tell the Healers I am requesting it for a special guest."

"Yes, sir." Nymphy replied before disappearing.

"She's a fine house elf. Very loyal. Are you sure you're not struggling now that you're one elf down? I know you have many serving your home."

Amelia's father nodded again, "I looked into it after we lost the other one but the timing isn't quite right. I'm expecting some trouble at work and I don't want to bother with training a new elf."

"Very understandable." The Minister replied just as Nymphy reappeared with a glass bottle. "There you are. Now give it to Miss Malfoy so we can make our way to the box."

"Yes, sir." Nymphy said, handing Amelia the bottle gently. Amelia took a gentle sip and thanked Nymphy for it. She instantly felt better.

When she stood up and smiled, the Minister grinned too. "Excellent, let's get going!"

While they walked, her father and the Minister walked side by side, leaving Draco and Amelia behind to fend for themselves.

Draco was losing his mind. "Amelia, imagine what it's going to be like. None of those athletes who think they're worth more than they actually are. These guys are actually going to be skillful and talented."

"Which team are you for?" Amelia asked, half-heartedly.

"Well, Father says we're not supposed to root for anyone." He said this quietly so that Lucius wouldn't hear. "But Bulgaria has to win it. They've got Krum."

Amelia had no idea who Krum was or why he was supposed to help Bulgaria win. She was going to ask her brother but then she was reminded that she didn't care.

The Minister's box was large and had plenty of large, cushiony chairs for everyone to sit in. There were several house elves scattered throughout the room to be at the disposal of all the guests.

"Draco, Amelia, go ahead and take a seat. I'll be with you momentarily."

"Father, may I go down to the concessions to visit with my friends? I told them I would." Draco asked.

Lucius nodded and tossed Draco a sack of Galleons. "Get you and your sister something nice. Nothing too flashy, understand?"

"Yes, sir." Draco replied, smiling. "Come on, Amelia."

Amelia, reluctantly, followed her brother out of the box and down several flights of metallic stairs until they came to the concession stand. There, Goyle and Crabbe were waiting for her brother.

"Amelia, go ahead and look around. I'll be with you in a minute."

Amelia had no interest in getting anything in this shop so instead, she went to the edge of the railing, and looked over the field.

She was just about to scream from her extreme boredom when she heard her brother laugh.

"Look at what we have here. The Weasleys. I'm surprised you blood traitor father could afford your tickets."

Amelia turned to see the whole of the Weasley clan, plus Harry and Hermione, standing in front of her brother and his friends.

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry said, "I'm sure you and your posh father are sitting in luxury."

"You've got that right. In the Minister's private box."

Ron laughed, "I'm sure you haven't bragged about that enough."

"You're all just jealous you don't have seats as good as mine. I'm sure you're high enough that if it rains, you'll be the first to know." This made Crabbe and Goyle laugh obnoxiously.

Amelia decided it was time for her to greet Ginny. She pushed past her brother and smiled at her new friend.

"Hello, Ginny, nice to see you."

Ginny was surprised at this sudden kindness, from a Malfoy no less, but smiled back. "It's nice to see you too, Amelia. Are you excited for the game?"

"Not in the slightest. I'm here for moral support. Draco would probably throw himself out onto the field in order to be near the players."

This made everyone, but Draco, chuckle.

Ginny glared at her brothers. "Shut up, you lot. You know you'd do the same thing. Ron, don't act like you wouldn't marry Krum given the chance."

Ron and Draco both blushed.

"You should try to find me after the match. We can hang out at our tent." Ginny said.

Amelia smiled, "That sounds nice. I'm supposed to find Neville too but once I do, we can make our way over there."

"Brilliant. I'll see you later! Come on!" She yelled at her brothers as she walked away briskly.

Amelia gave her brother a quick look before starting back towards the box. Draco said a goodbye to his friends before following after her, mumbling something she couldn't quite understand.

The game passed without much incident. Draco was amazed at Krum's feat, catching the glorious and all-powerful Golden Snitch. He was upset that the Bulgarians didn't win but was pleased that his idol managed to do his job.

"Did you have any fun?" Draco asked her as they walked to the Minister's private tent.

Amelia shrugged, "Not really. I didn't understand a bit of it."

"Who are you? You're not my sister." Draco joked.

Amelia only rolled her eyes and enjoyed the rest of Draco's excitement. "You know," she said once he was done, "maybe you should be a professional Quidditch player."

Draco snorted, "That's not a wise career path. How am I supposed to provide for my family?"

"You don't have to have a family right away." She said, "You could have fun first. If it's something you enjoy I don't see why you can't pursue it."

"Father wouldn't approve of it. And he wouldn't approve of this conversation."

"Well Father isn't here, is he." Amelia said. Then she looked around, "Where is he anyway?"

"Not sure. I thought he was staying behind to speak with the Minister."

"Do you mind if I go off to find my friends? I told them I would try to meet up with them tonight."

Draco looked around nervously, "Do you know where they are? I don't want you wandering around by yourself."

"I'll be fine. Neville told me the general area where Seamus' tent is."

"Be careful. There's all kinds of riffraff running around here." Draco said in disgust.

Amelia sighed, "I'll be fine, Draco."

"Be back at the Minister's tent by midnight. I think Father wanted to leave by then."

Amelia waved him off as she broke out into a skip. She desperately wanted to see a friendly face after being forced into the company of bourgeois men and their conservative views. The whole time that the Minister had been ordering that poor house elf around, Amelia had been secretly furious, wishing only to free her and put the Minister in his place.

Suddenly, there was a scream. At first, she assumed it was all a part of the festivities. Her brother had told her the Irish were a rowdy bunch so she wouldn't have put it past them. But then she saw smoke coming from the tops of burning tents and people running in all directions.

Amelia gasped when she looked up and saw three men hanging above her in the sky. They had blank looks on their faces, their bodies were contorted in odd ways, and they had multiple cuts on their faces.

"Amelia!" She heard her brother scream above the roar of the crowd. There were so many people running around her, calling out the names of their own loved ones, that she couldn't tell where Draco was.

More and more people started appearing in the sky, all with the same blank looks on their faces, the terrifying white eyes and ragged cuts.

Someone behind her said, "Muggles."

The crowd began to thin. Amelia thought maybe this was a good thing, maybe they were escaping and getting home. But then she saw people tumble to the ground, writhing in pain as men in black cloaks and silver masks marched in.

They shouted curse after curse in every direction, not caring about who they hit. She recognized some of the voices, she had heard them in her own house for weeks now, plotting, planning. That was no coincidence.

She hoped and prayed to whoever was listening that she wouldn't see him. If he as here she wouldn't know what to think. But then she saw the wand, the ugly straight, black wand with a gaudy silver snake head on the end. His long white-blonde hair was pulled back so it wouldn't get in the way of his attacks.

"Father." She whispered. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and willed him to disappear. He was back at the Minister's tent, waiting to take she and her brother home. He was not a killer.

"Father." She said louder, someone looked over as they ran away from his attacks. They had a family, a life.

"Father!" She shouted, her ability of movement kicked back in as she walked towards him.

"Father, stop!" Amelia cried, running towards him, ripping his extended arm down. His curse hit the ground. A chunk of earth flew up and dotted her face with mud.

Lucius whipped around and threw her to the ground. "Get away you insolent child! This is not the place for your idiocy."

"Amelia!" Draco had found her. "Let's go home. Mother is waiting for us."

"No!" She replied, "I can't let him do this."

"There's nothing you can do!" He cried, but she had pulled herself out of his grasp. She ran after her father again and held him back from the right. This time, she got hit.

She could feel the cut and the sting and the blood running down her arm. She looked up at her father and was about to ask him why when he attacked again.

Draco screamed at Lucius, "Stop, Father, you're hurting her. This isn't the place!"

"Take her home. I will deal with her when I am finished." He replied darkly.

Amelia felt herself grow numb. Her vision was cutting in and out. Everything was drowned out by the screams, the terrible, awful screams. She was dragged by her brother to a tall tent at the edge of the field. He held her close and whispered, "Go to sleep, Amelia" as he Flooed her home.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: Exile

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Exile**

Amelia sat on the firm, uncomfortable couch as her mother started to clean out the cuts on her face. Her brother stood anxiously by the fireplace, staring into the flames. Amelia found that Draco looked his handsomest this way, brooding and thinking.

"I can't believe it." He said finally. "I thought Father was over this."

Amelia's mother said nothing, only pursed her lips and hastened her healing.

"But I suppose we should have known. He's had those friends of his over for ages. They're always planning something." He began pacing around the dark room, "But why now? What's got the Death Eaters gathering after all these years?"

"Draco!" Narcissa said sharply. "That's enough. You're scaring your sister. This isn't the kind of talk your father would approve of. Now I think it would be best if we all went upstairs and-"

"Alas, my love, I'm afraid I must speak with our children." Lucius said, joining the family very suddenly. "I'm sorry I've been so long but I was busy dealing with something at the World Cup."

"We know." Draco said quietly.

Lucius' eyes flickered toward Amelia. "Draco, Narcissa, I need to speak with Amelia privately, please."

"Lucius, I don't know if that's a good idea-"

"Don't tell me what is and isn't a good idea!" He cried. Narcissa jumped up and grabbed Draco's shoulder's, dragging him out of the room.

"Father-" Amelia began.

"Don't." He said, "You have interfered enough tonight." He pulled out his wand and flashed a terrible spell at her; pain surged through her whole body as she fell from the sofa to the ground.

He sighed, "I always knew you were going to be trouble, Amelia but I didn't know it would happen so soon." He flicked his wand at her again: she seized up and screamed. "If you are going to hinder the second rising of the Dark Lord, I can't have you in my household." Pain. "Take this as a warning, my dear. You have five minutes to gather your belongings and get out."

Amelia looked up at him, "Father?"

"Get. Out." He said viciously grabbing her arm and pulling her to her bedroom. He threw her against her bed and screamed, "Pack your things."

With hot tears pouring down her face, Amelia began to throw all of her belongings into her school trunk. She heard Draco protest and her mother crying behind her father's looming figure. Her books and clothes all fit easily into the humongous trunk. She was in a clear enough state of mind to leave behind anything having to do with the Dark Arts. Richard, who had been sleeping by the window, was now barring his teeth at Lucius.

"Time's up. Time to go." Lucius said, grabbing her again. Amelia held tightly to her trunk, the most valueable thing she owned at this point, and silently willed Richard to climb into her jumper. He did.

Lucius threw open the front door and tossed her out. It was raining and she landed in the mud. Draco tried to push past his father to grab her but he was forced back. Narcissa was sobbing.

"Goodbye, Amelia. Good luck." Lucius said one last time, "You're going to need it." Then he slammed the door shut.

It took several minutes before Amelia realized that she was actually here, sitting in the mud, in the pouring rain with all her belongings. Exiled.

On trembling legs, she stood up and took a deep breath. Amelia looked around at her family home, the garden, the front porch, the grand architecture. She couldn't imagine never seeing it again.

Amelia took hold of her trunk and gave Richard a small kiss on his nose. Then, with as little bravery as she could muster, she took a step away from Malfoy Manor.

Rain dripped down her back. She shivered as she walked further away from her home. Her long hair was beginning to stick to her face and the freezing rain mixed with her hot tears.

It seemed like she had been walking for ages when suddenly, a roaring sound broke through the steady rhythm of the rain. She turned around to face blinding lights; a horn started her out of the middle of the road.

A large, purple double-decker bus pulled up beside her. A tall man with a pimply face and a scruffy beard sauntered out, blowing out a puff of smoke from his cigarette.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus. Transport for lost witches and wizards. I'm Stan Shunpike, your conductor for this evening." He looked down at her for a moment before saying, "I'll take your bag." Her trunk was swept out of her hand but Stan struggled to lift it up.

"Merlin, what's in here?"

"My whole room." Amelia mumbled out.

"Ah, a runaway then." Stan glanced at her momentarily, "What's your name?"

"A-Amelia Malfoy."

"Malfoy. I see why you'd want to run. Scary people, those Malfoys."

Amelia said nothing.

"Where would you like to get to, Miss Malfoy?"

Amelia said the first thing that popped into her head, "Brighton. 27 Mallory Place, Brighton."

"Brighton, eh? It's going to take awhile. Might as well get comfortable. It's not as comfortable as Malfoy Manor, mind you."

Amelia bit her lip and took a seat on one of the beds lining the walls of the Knight Bus. Richard crawled out of her jumper and sat beside her purring at the lovely warmth.

As soon as she collapsed, the tears started to fall freely. She was unloved, uncared for. Family-less. Home-less.

Stan Shunpike watched her, but said nothing. The Knight Bus was dark except for the small amount of light coming from his cigarette, illuminating his face eerily.

Buildings flashed by faster than Amelia could comprehend them. Pretty soon, they were passing the sea and she knew she was almost there.

"27 Mallory Place, Brighton." Stan said once they came to a halt in front of a dark house.

Amelia quickly grabbed her trunk, barely faltering at the weight. Richard hurried to hop onto her shoulders and gripped to her with his claws. All she cared about was getting there.

Stan called out, "Be careful, peach. A pretty one like you draws danger." And then he, and the Knight Bus, was gone.

It was raining here too but Amelia's clothes were soaked through so she didn't mind. The cuts on her face bled freely. As she got closer to the door, her vision blurred.

Then she knocked hard. Her fists pounded against the door until they ached.

Finally, it swung open. And there was Neville.

He was in his night clothes, hair tossed and eyes dark. He gripped his wand tightly.

"Amelia?"

"Who is it?" Mrs. Longbottom said.

"It's Amelia, Gran." He said, glancing back. "Amelia, are you alright? You're going to catch a cold."

Mrs. Longbottom sniffed, "Rather rude not to call before coming." She was looking at Amelia as though she were something commonly found in the trash, which did nothing to improve her mood.

"Gran!" Neville said sharply. "Amelia come in."

It took only one step before she stumbled forward. Neville caught her and she began to sob vigorously into his shoulder. He held her tightly, saying nothing to her.

"Gran, give us a minute, please?" He asked in exasperation, obviously overwhelmed by the current situation. Gran lifted her proud chin, muttered something that was possibly in a foreign language, and shuffled away from the pair.

"Amelia, what happened? What are you doing all the way in Brighton?" Neville asked tenderly when his grandmother was gone. His voice was soft and he held her as one might hold a newborn baby bird.

Amelia struggled to form the undesirable, unbelievable words. "I-I've been disowned by my father."

Neville's eyebrows slowly rose. His grip on her tightened and something flashed in his eyes that was definitley anger. "What happened?"

"My father had enough of me, I suppose." She laughed humorlessly. "He wasn't pleased that I had interfered with his Death Eater business at the World Cup. He banished me for good tonight after we returned from the attacks."

"Oh, Amelia." Neville said, "I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened to you. You don't deserve this and you don't deserve that man as a father. You deserve.." he paused and caught himself. "You deserve so much more than what you've been dealt." He kissed the top of her head and gave her a decided look, "You're staying here. I'm not going to turn away my best friend."

"But what about your gran?" Amelia asked quietly, "She didn't seem too pleased I was here."

"She's going to have to deal with it."

Neville's Gran was hesitant at first to house her. But after being persuaded by Neville and hearing Amelia's terrible story, she was a gracious host. She was quick to break out the food and warm clothes as a peace offering to her previous rude greeting and instructed her to take a shower for as long as she'd like.

"You're quite filthy." She said, handing Amelia fresh clothes and warm towels. "There's soap in the cabinets. I'll have something waiting for you in the kitchen when you get out."

"Thank you, m'am." Amelia said, not looking the stern woman in the eye. Mrs. Longbottom grunted before disappearing yet again.

While Amelia washed herself off in the shower, she watched the blood and mud fall into the drain. She closed her eyes and wished it wasn't like she was washing away her family. She didn't want to say goodbye. This couldn't be the end.

Afterwards, she lathargically dressed herself in slightly old-fashioned looking clothes. They were warm enough to shake away the chill she had from the rain and comfy enough that she could fall asleep easily once she felt safe. When she emerged from the bathroom an hour later, she found Neville sitting right outside. He looked at her for a moment in a way that Amelia wasn't used to. Her skin itched.

"Those are my mum's clothes." He said at last.

Amelia looked down at herself. "I'm sorry, I can change. Your gran-"

"It's okay. It just caught me off guard is all." He came closer to her, holding out his hand, "Let me show you to the room you'll be staying in. Gran got it all ready for you while you were washing."

She took his outstretched hand and followed him down the long hallway. The house was old, much older than Amelia's house, but it had more life in it. She could see the generations of families that had lived there before Neville and his gran and she could imagine the many more that were sure to follow. It was lovely.

"This was the room my parents stayed in when they came to visit. It used to be my father's. There's still a bunch of junk in here so it'll probably take some time to clean it out. For now, we'll just move everything to the floor." Neville explained, somewhat embarrassed.

Amelia sat on the only empty place on the bed. "Thank you for letting me stay here."

"It's no trouble, Amelia, you know that." Neville replied. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again, "I'm sorry I wasn't at the Cup. I came down with a stomach bug last minute. I would've been there, I promise. If I had-"

"Don't worry about it, Nev. If you had been there I don't think things would have gone much differently." Amelia felt her eyes grow full of tears again. Neville wrapped his long arms around her and held her close to his chest. She could smell cinnamon on his breath.

When she was done crying, when her eyes were sore and red, Neville took her head in his hands and kissed her cheeks gently before stroking her wet, tangled hair. She could feel him shaking, with anger or fear she did not know. All she knew was that this was where she was supposed to be. Safe in this home that brought warmth to her heart.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three: Confrontation

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: Confrontation**

One of Amelia's favorite places to sit in Brighton was on the back porch, facing the sea. During her first few days with Neville and his gran, she was standoffish, preferring to spend her days by herself. Then, once she had grown used to her new situation, it was simply a place to sit and think.

It was very odd for her to wake up in a warm place and not be terrified of the people in it. Gran, who had been cold at first, had developed a protective attitude towards Amelia. Amelia in return felt dependent of Gran.

And seeing Neville everyday was a plus.

Eventually, the leaves began to grow brown and the air turned crisper. Amelia woke up one morning to find Gran had placed her Hogwarts letter on her bedside table. This was a bittersweet moment, as it meant that Amelia had officially been recognized as a resident here, no longer a inhabitant of Malfoy Manor.

Amelia's anxiety was overflowing on September 1st. She knew that she would see Narcissa, Draco, or even worse, Lucius, and be blown to bits.

The whole morning of their departure, Amelia was fidgety and quiet. Gran noticed this and asked if she was feeling alright. Neville noticed this and was even kinder to her than he already was.

She felt nauseous on the drive to London and even had to roll down the window so she wouldn't vomit all over the inside of Gran's precious car.

"I'm sure they've already come and gone." Neville told her when Gran wasn't paying attention. "Posh people like them are always early for these kind of things. I doubt you'll see any of them today."

This calmed her down quite a bit. She did know that Lucius enjoyed showing up at the station very early so he could consult his friends from work. At least, that's what she had always thought. They had actually probably been Death Eaters.

But yes, by this time they had already dropped Draco off and had left. She was perfectly safe.

The pouring rain lifted her spirits even more. Not only did she adore the smell of it, but Narcissa refused to be out too long in the poor weather for fear of damaging her fine clothes and hair. She would not be here if she had the same amount of pride as she did before.

Amelia went into the station with a smile on her face. Granted, part of it was forced, but hope had managed to grow so much that now she was certain: her parents were no longer here.

She and Neville walked side by side, laughing quietly about something Gran had said that hadn't been intended to be a joke. Amelia found she liked looking at Neville when he was happy, his smile wide and his brown eyes sparkled. For the first time, she noticed golden specks dotting the outside of his irises.

She realized she was standing much to close to her friend and looked away from him, her cheeks flushed. Neville hadn't noticed anything odd and was still looking at her as if she was the greatest thing to ever exist.

Amelia's heart felt light and happy, as if she had never considered the possibility of her family's presence at the station. But slowly, a sense of dread crawled up her spine and yanked her down until she felt the sensation of two piercing eyes fixated on her.

She turned cautiously and let out a shuddery breath. There, standing straight and tall with his pointed chin held high, was her father looking at her as if she was a stranger who had wronged him. Her mother, too, did not appear to recognize her.

Amelia could feel herself trembling and she had stopped walking completely. Then, Neville slid his warm hand into hers and squeezed. He pulled her along gently, quietly explaining to his grandmother what had just happened.

The next few moments happened in a blur. One minute she was standing on the platform watching her family pretend she didn't exist and the next she was on the train, alone in a compartment with Neville.

His hand was still entwined with hers. When he began to talk, she snapped back to reality.

"Amelia?" He asked, "Are you okay?"

She wiped at her eyes with her free hand. "I don't know. That was so much worse than I thought it was going to be."

"At least he didn't touch you. If he had..."

"I know. You wouldn't have stood for that."

Neville smiled at her and changed the subject. "I hope it's okay I put Richard with the other pets. I think he wanted to play with the cats."

"He probably did. He's been quite restless this summer without an owl to chase around. And since you wouldn't let him go after Trevor-"

"Hey! I think I'm allowed to be concerned for my toad's life."

Amelia laughed. "Anyway, he's probably sick of my company.'

"Who would be sick of your company?" Neville asked. Just then, the trolley witch rolled past with her load of goodies. He shot up and rifled through his pockets. "Do you want anything from the trolley? Gran gave me some extra money." Then he laughed, "Oh wait, I forgot. Pumpkin Pasties, is it?"

"Two please." Amelia breathed, leaning back in her seat. She had to give Neville a lot of credit. He was excellent at talking her down from a panic attack. She suppose that meant they were destined to be best friends.

 _Just friends?_ Something in the back of her mind said.

This made her stop doing everything: breathing, moving, thinking. She and Neville... more than friends? Impossible. Ridiculous.

These was a knock on the compartment door, which made Amelia look up. If it had been Neville, he would have just come in. And she was right.

Standing there, looking as if the rest of the summer had not been very kind to him, was Draco.

Amelia cowered back in her seat as he entered the compartment with a slam. He flicked his wand, which quickly closed the curtains of the glass door. He leaned close to her and growled.

"You have ruined my life. Do realize how selfish it was to leave? Do you understand the consequences of your actions?" He waved his wand again and his once pale face was now dark with purple bruises and red scars. "Guess who our father decided to take his anger out on now that you're gone."

"Oh, Draco." Amelia whispered. She stood and stumbled toward him but he pushed her away. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"No. It's too late for your apologies. I need an answer. Why did you leave?"

"Leave? Draco, you know Father disowned me. He kicked me out himself."

Draco laughed, "You know he wouldn't do that. You may be useless in his eyes but he wouldn't do that to his own family."

Amelia was shocked. Hadn't Draco been there when her father had kicked and hit her until she could hardly stand? Hadn't he been there when he had thrown her out into the mud?

"You don't have to stand there and take it, Draco. You can leave too."

"And be ridiculed for years to come? No thanks. Unlike you, I'd like to preserve my reputation. You still haven't answered my question. Why did you leave?"

Amelia was getting frustrated. "I told you I didn't-"

Draco suddenly grabbed Amelia's wrist and gripped it tightly. When had he ever been that strong? She wasn't concerned until it started to hurt. She tried to pull away but Draco was shaking with fury at this point; it didn't look as if she was getting away any time soon.

"I used to be adored by him and now he hates me. No normal boy should fear their father."

"Draco-"

"Mother has to clean up my wounds every night. She cries. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"I-"

"Shut up!" He threw her onto the seat, making her hit her head against the wall.

"Hey!" Neville burst into the compartment. "You better get out of here right now before I force you out."

Draco chuckled, straightening his robes. "That's funny. Longbottom's found his voice."

"Malfoy, I'm warning you."

"Since when are you brave, Longbottom? I always thought you were more suited for the house of cowards: Hufflepuff. I'm impressed. I'm sorry you had to waste your efforts on her, though."

"Get out." Neville said through gritted teeth.

Draco sighed and gave Amelia one last dangerous look before exiting the compartment.

Neville immediately fell to her side and examined her for injuries. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Nev. He only scared me. A lot."

"What do you mean?"

Amelia rubbed her wrist and looked at the place where her brother had been standing only moments before, "He didn't remember that I had been kicked out of the house. He thought I had runaway or something. He also didn't seem to remember that I had been abused. It was like everything that's happened in the past few years had disappeared."

Neville's mouth fell open slightly, "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. But I think my father did something to him, maybe even to my mother. I'm worried."

"Don't be." He assured her, "At least, not yet. Take some time to worry about yourself, okay? Then you can figure out if your family needs your help. Not like they deserve it anyway."

They arrived at the school a couple hours later. Amelia was grateful for the Black Lake, the stone walls, and the all of the magic of Hogwarts just because they were more places she could trust.

Everyone piled into the Great Hall once again. She was greeted by her roommates with open arms. Carmen and Violet had made up and were once again best friends, but Daniella was now a happy member of their group.

"Amelia!" Carmen told her excitedly, "We were thinking of starting of a study group, if you'd be interested. It's exclusive to Hufflepuffs unfortunately so Neville wouldn't be able to come."

She blinked, "That's okay."

"Really?" Violet asked. "I thought you did everything together."

"Not everything. It's not like we're attached at the hip or anything." Amelia said quietly.

"Aren't you dating?" Carmen asked.

Daniella shushed her when Amelia's eyes went big. "I thought I told you that it wasn't confirmed." She turned to Amelia, "I'm sorry about her."

"Do people think Neville and I are dating?"

Violet blushed. Carmen became very fascinated in her food. Daniella rolled her eyes, "It's just because you guys spend a lot of time together."

"How many people think this?"

Daniella shrugged and looked at her hands.

"How many?" Amelia said a bit more forcefully.

"A lot of people, okay? Most people in our year. A lot in his. Some everywhere else."

"You mean the whole school?" Amelia asked, her voice getting louder and louder.

Violet cut in, "It's just a stupid rumor going around."

"One of many." Carmen muttered.

"What?!"

Daniella hit Carmen's side, "Watch your mouth! Listen, there are various rumors pertaining to your relationship with Neville. Some of them are normal like you're dating. Some of them... aren't so normal."

"Like?"

"Like you're long lost siblings. Or you're married. Or you're friends with-"

"Stop!" Amelia said. Her face was red and she could feel heat radiating off of her. She couldn't look at anyone right now. "That's all the information I need right now."

"Look, Amelia if it makes you feel any better, most people don't believe the ridiculous ones. Only idiots who get off on being mean do. People don't think that low of you. They do, however, want to see you happy."

Amelia angrily picked at her fingernail. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that they like the idea of you and Neville together. We think you'd be a great couple."

Amelia shook her head, "We're just friends. That's all we are."

"I know that." Daniella replied, "I'm just saying you'd be good together."

The girls left her alone to stew in silence. Amelia hated thinking about it. Why couldn't this be her one constant? Why couldn't everything stay the same?

At that moment, Professor Dumbledore stood and raised his hands to signal the students to stop talking. Once the last few conversations had ended, he smiled at them.

"Welcome students to another fabulous year of education. I have a very special announcement to make that I think will please all of you. Quidditch will not be taking place this school year."

Students began to shout angrily but stopped when he held up his hands again. "You really must learn the value of patience. Quidditch will not be taking place this school year on account of another rather exciting event. This year, Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament."

The room grew quiet with awe. "In this tournament, students ages 17 and older will be permitted to submit their names into the Goblet of Fire. Not only will a student from this very school be chosen but two more from the visiting schools of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. The students will compete in a number of dangerous tasks that will ultimately declare a champion. Our guests will be arriving in a months time so we must all do our best to behave well and be welcoming. That is all for tonight, get a good night's rest and enjoy your classes tomorrow!"


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four: Unforgiveable

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: Unforgiveable**

Today was Amelia's first day of Muggle Studies. She had signed up for the class in a rage last year when Lucius said something rude about Muggleborns over breakfast. She hadn't told her father about the class and was considering dropping it for something else before he found out but then she got kicked out. Now it didn't matter what she learned in school. Her censorship was gone.

Her initial impression walking into the classroom was one of discomfort. There were plenty of third years she recognized, sure, but there were also many older students. She barely had the social acquity to interact with peers her own age, let alone teenagers who were older, smarter, and tougher than she. But Amelia, not wanting to coward out of yet another thing in her miserable life, decided to hold her head up high and march in without looking anyone in the eye.

She settled down in a seat in the middle of the room. Too close to the front and she would have been pegged as a teacher's pet, the professor would notice her, call on her in class, pay attention to when she was absent, and question her afterwards. This was not an option. A seat in the back would be where all the slackers went, the kids who were taking this class to fill their schedules in order to graduate. She would not be interpreted as a slacker.

So the middle it was, beside a clean cut Gryffindor and a bleary eyed Slytherin, who looked less than thrilled to be there. The bell rang and several minutes passed without a professor presenting themselves so Amelia began to get anxious in her seat. She felt as if the whole room was watching her, secretly judging her for her disownment and wondering to themselves if she and Neville were really an item. She could have passed out right then and there but before she could, the door to the classroom slammed shut.

"Good morning, settle down, sweet things." A tall, thin woman with a wild bush of blonde hair entered the room. "I am Professor Burbage and I will be your Muggle Studies instructor. This is a very hands on class that requires participation in the form of developing your own questions about things from the Muggle world and discovering the answer to them yourself. I am here as more of an advisor."

This idea intrigued Amelia. She very much enjoyed learning but always seemed to struggle under the stern eye of a professor watching her every move. Perhaps this class would be different. She settled down in her seat and took a deep breath.

"However you need not worry about solving the world's problems today. I thought maybe we could play a bit of a game." Professor Burbage held up a long, gold, pointed object and began walking around the room. Each of the students examined it, looking at it as if it was a completely alien relic.

"Who has a guess as to what this is used for?" Professor Burbage asked, twirling the mysterious object between her needle-like fingers. "Don't be shy. Any answer could be correct."

A few hands went up, probably students who assumed they knew everything and Half-bloods who'd grown up around the stuff. But Professor Burbage seemed smart enough to pick out those who thought they knew from those who knew.

The first girl she chose brandished navy and silver robes, her hair slicked back into a straight ponytail. Her face was severe and her nose reminded Amelia of a bird's beak, but not in the way that made her unattractive. She was swan-like. But she was still in Ravenclaw, which meant she had the confidence to guess without her answer seeming like a guess. "It's their version of a wand. They use it to do almost anything without the use of magic."

"Wrong." Professor Burbage said, "But interesting."

"Is it used to pick apples from trees?" A pimply boy from Hufflepuff asked.

"No, but that's very creative."

A boy who looked to be about Amelia's age hesitantly raised his hand. He, too, wore Ravenclaw robes and held a confidence that bordered on arrogance. "Does it help them get things out of the oven?"

Professor Burbage's eyebrows shot up, "That's impressively close, Mr.-"

"Chancy. Marius Chancy."

"Well Mr. Chancy, I'll have you know that this object is known as a 'poker'. Muggles use it on their fires to get them to burn brighter. They poke the log and it makes the coals get hotter."

The class looked at her in awe.

Professor Burbage reached behind her desk to grab another item when a long arm shot up and waved around wildly. The laughter from the class caused the professor to look up and smirk.

"Can I help you?"

"M'am not to be rude, but what's the point of this?" It was Jude, the boy who had been so welcoming to her in her first year, who had seemed to disappear during her second. And here he was again, having grown considerably since Amelia had last laid eyes on him. He was handsomer, more intelligent, and perhaps more centered.

Professor Burbage smiled at him. "The point of this, Master Walters, is to learn what you do not yet know."

He was quiet for a beat, "Isn't that the point of school?"

She smiled, "Yes. But this is different. With Transfiguration and Potions, you are exploring a world you are comfortable with, one that you already know so much about. In my class, you will be exploring a part of the world that surrounds us completely and yet most of you are completely ignorant of. This activity is merely giving you a glimpse of that world. Understand?"

Jude nodded and scribbled something down on his parchment. From the look on his face, it looked as though he still did not quite understand. Amelia didn't either but she was exhilarated to discover the meaning.

The rest of the class passed smoothly. Students still failed at guessing the proper uses behind Muggle artifacts and Professor Burbage still did not tell them the answers. Amelia wrote the description of everything they investigated to research later.

When she left the classroom, her head was buzzing with new knowledge and an excitement that she could not, and did not want, to control. This was odd for her. She was often presented with emotions that were overwhelming to the point of overtaking her. These emotions were unwelcome due to their lack of manageability. But this, this was something brand new.

Amelia grinned openly, hugging her books close to her chest and practically skipping toward the greenhouses. She couldn't wait to tell Neville of this newest phenomenon. However, when she arrived, something seemed wrong.

The first thing she noticed when she walked in was that someone was crying. The second thing she noticed was the broken pots lying on the ground and an acrid, damp smell.

She threw her bag and books to the ground and ran to the source of the sobs. It half-surprised her to find Neville slouching on a workbench, clenching his stomach. At his feet, vomit.

Amelia wasn't sure what to do. So she started with the vomit. She washed the majority of it away with her wand and swept the rest up with a broom along with the broken pot pieces. Once that was disposed of, she rolled up her sleeves and knelt in front of Neville.

"Nev? What's wrong?" Her voice was gentle and kind.

He sniffed and looked up at her, his eyes red. "Nothing that can be fixed, I'm afraid."

"Let me see for myself. Can you tell me what happened?"

"It was the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class today. Professor Moody. I hate him, Amelia."

Neville was not one to use the word 'hate' lightly.

"Today's lesson was about the Unforgivable Curses." Amelia was familiar. "And he tested them out on one of the creatures he has in his classroom. All of them." She assumed he was distraught over the Killing Curse, but she was wrong. "I've never told you this, Amelia. I've never told anyone this. Do you know why I stay with Gran?" She had always been curious about the absence of his parents. "Fourteen years ago, almost right after I was born, my parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, went out on a mission for the rebellion. They were captured by Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband. Th-they tortured them-"

"Neville I don't have to know-"

"Please, Amelia. I need to tell you this. They tortured them. But they lived."

Amelia released a breath. She didn't like this story.

"My parents were taken to St. Mungo's for the injuries they received from the ordeal. At first, the Healers didn't see anything wrong, but through time, they learned that my parents had gone through a lot more than physical scrapes and bruises. They," his voice trembled, "they went insane."

"Neville-"

"They're still in St. Mungo's. Gran and I visit them every Christmas and during the summer sometimes. The reason I don't go more is because I think it's hard for Gran to see her son like that."

"I would go with you." Amelia said suddenly, her voice quiet. "I mean, I could. If you wanted me to." She grabbed Neville's had gently and held on.

He looked down at their hands and smiled, "I would love it if you went. They'd love to meet you. I talk about you all the time."

They both blushed at this and avoided each other's gazes, but their hands remained together. A breeze blew through the greenhouse, ruffling their clothes and hair. Amelia could feel Neville's heart beating rapidly in his fingers.

Neville continued to hold her hand even when they were interrupted by the next class coming into the greenhouse.

Most of the gathering students paid them no mind. But when Draco and his friends entered, the first thing he noticed was them. He sneered and nodded at Gregory and Vincent before slinking over to his sister.

"Amelia. I see you and Longbottom are still..." He glanced at their hands, "friends."

His words were meant to scorn her, but Amelia found they only gave her strength. Her grip on Neville's hand tightened. She rose. "We are. You couldn't expect me to disown him the way you and Father have so easily done to me."

This made Draco's face go red. "I believe we've had this conversation. We both know you're lying about this whole thing."

"I am doing no such thing. I'm sorry if you feel that way. I pity you even." She pulled Neville up from the stool and collected their things. "Come on, Nev. There are plenty other places for us to talk."

Neville was silent but obeyed. Draco was stunned at Amelia's bravery.

When they were safely out of earshot, Neville let out a loud laugh. "That was brilliant! Malfoy deserves to get put in his place. And to have it come from you, his own sister! No one will believe it!"

"No one will believe it because no one will know. I'm sure Draco won't tell anyone that his blood traitor sister outwitted him and if his friends know any better they won't either."

Neville was looking at her in a way that he had never looked at her before. She felt exposed and vulnerable so she quickly crossed her arms and looked at the ground.

"I think I've forgotten to mention how glad I am that you're staying with me and my Gran." The tips of Neville's ear were bright red. "You know y-you mean a lot to me and I don't want you to be unhappy and I'm glad you're happy with me, I mean with us. In Brighton. I mean, I'm glad you found a place where you're happy. I don't think I'm-"

"Neville, I understand. I'm glad I'm in Brighton with you. And Gran." Amelia said, blushing. She then wrapped her arms around her best friend and drew him in, closing her eyes when he returned the hug. He smelled like earth and crisp leaves. Two of Amelia's favorite things.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five: Captivation

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: Captivation**

The library was perfectly quiet, quiet enough that, had a tadpole laughed, it would be a roar. Students were bent over their work, scribbling line after line of information they had shoved into their head in class.

Amelia always liked being in the library these Sunday nights, when students who procrastinated all weekend decided now was the time to focus. Amelia was usually one of those poor souls, and although she had never spoken to the other frequent "Sunday nighters", she felt an odd bond with them.

On this particular Sunday, Neville had joined her. Professor Sprout had given him a particularly difficult task on Friday afternoon that had taken up most of his time, leaving his other assignments sitting unfinished in his school bag.

"How can you stand this?" He asked, searching through his bad in a panic.

Amelia shrugged, "I don't know. I suppose the stress of all the impending work makes me get super-human intelligence so I can finish it all without a problem. But that is a skill I've acquired only from years of practice. First year I was a wreck on Sundays."

Neville laughed, "With all the poise you grew up with you'd think you'd have figured out how to manage your time."

"Please." She scoffed, "That's my mother you're thinking of. If she heard you say I have poise, she would laugh hysterically for weeks."

It was around dinner time that Amelia finished her work. Neville still had a whole pile of things to do and she was not about to eat dinner alone, so she pulled out her writing notebook and began working on her story.

She hadn't played with Alexandra and Nicholas in quite some time that it took few moments before she recalled where she'd left them, frozen in time. For a while, she believed that maybe her time with her beloved characters was over. But now, she felt a calling in her fingertips, begging her to write again.

And write she did. The words poured out of her and the next thing she knew, Alexandra and Nicholas decided to run away from their lives and move to a place where they could both be happy, safe in their friendship with each other.

Amelia glanced up at Neville. The lantern that hung above them illuminated his face in a way that made him seem angelic and dark all at once. His messy dark hair hung in front of his eyes and Amelia fought the overwhelming urge to fix it for him.

He eventually looked up at her and smiled, the gold in his eyes shining.

"I'm tired of this. What have you been doing?" He asked, dropping his quill and stretching broadly.

"Just writing more of my story."

Neville's face brightened. "Really? Will you read it to me? Last thing I remember was that Alexandra and Nicholas were having tea in his house."

Amelia flipped through the endless filled pages. "When his mother was sick?"

"No...I don't think you read that to me."

"When the captain came in claiming he was his father?"

"That's it!" Neville cried, settling back in his chair. He kicked up his feet so that they were resting on Amelia's lap.

She winced when they landed on her heavily. "At least take off your shoes." He complied and she laughed.

Neville blushed, thinking to himself that he liked her laugh quite a bit. And, when she began to read, he blushed harder at the idea of liking her gentle voice.

Amelia could feel his eyes on her and began to warm up herself. She kept eyeing him, looking into his eyes and then quickly returning her gaze to her page. Every time she saw him, his eyes, his messy hair, his glowing bravery, and everything else, she felt her heart grow.

 _Is this what it feels like?_ She wondered, _Am I actually feeling these things about Neville?_

She never got a chance to answer herself because Neville began coughing so aggressively that his feet dropped from her lap and his face turned red.

"Neville, are you okay?" Amelia bent down to help him up.

He stiffened under her touch and shyed away. "Y-yeah. I'm fine." He cleared his throat once more before straightening his tie and sending apologetic looks towards the disturbed students.

"What was that?" She asked, watching him in concern.

"Oh, n-nothing I just r-realized something." He replied, scratching his head.

"Well what is it?"

"Nothing! Don't worry about it. You can keep reading if you want." Neville had sat back in his chair, his face was back to it's normal color. But Amelia could see there was something he wasn't telling her.

She hesitantly returned to her seat too and looked at him one more time before continuing her story. Eventually, she got lost in it, forgetting about the freakish turn of events that had just happened in her real life and was now focused on the relationship between Nicholas and Alexandra.

Neville sat enraptured through the entire soliloquy of Nicholas as he battled with his hidden affections of his dearest friend but was terrified of the consequences of telling her. After all, her rank was far above him.

And Amelia teared up for apparently no reason whatsoever when Alexandra realized the aching feeling in her stomach wasn't food poisoning from her awful cooking but rather feelings of love for Nicholas.

After Amelia detailed the pain they both felt of their mutual love and shared terror of confession, her voice drifted off and they sat in dulled silence.

"That was amazing." Neville said quietly. "You really have something special here."

"Thank you." Amelia replied, closing the notebook gently.

He stood up and started gathering his things, "I think we've missed dinner."

She glanced at her watch, "Oh, yes we have."

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"Me neither."

The two friends stood there, holding everything in, not looking at each other. Amelia wondered if they would be able to stand there forever when she heard herself say, "I'm going to go on to bed. I'm not feeling well."

Neville looked at her hopefully, "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to your common room?"

"I'm sure." She answered, "I don't want to get you sick."

He looked at her like this was ridiculous, "I don't care about getting sick."

"Well I care if you get sick." She laughed to herself, "When you caught that cold over the summer, you acted like a big baby. I'd like to avoid that as much as I can."

"Hey!" Neville cried, "You and Gran weren't very helpful. You would laugh at me every time I came downstairs to get something myself."

"Because you looked insane with your bright red nose and blanket wrapped twice around your body." Amelia shot back, grinning.

Neville rolled his eyes and sighed, "And here I was thinking you were my friend."

"Best friend." She added as she linked arms with him. They started out of the library toward the Hufflepuff common room. Their hooked arms drifted until their hands were clasped.

When they neared the common room, Amelia halted very suddenly, catching sight of some of her peers lounging around outside of the door. She became very aware of Neville's hand in hers.

"This is far enough." She said, twisting her arm so her hand would come out of his.

He peered around the corner, "Are we hiding from someone in particular?"

"N-no."

He gave her a look.

"Fine. My house."

He laughed, "We're hiding from your whole house?"

"And some of the others."

"Why?"

Amelia bit the inside of her cheek and mumbled her answer. Neville leaned in closer to her, close enough that if she was a little taller, they would be nose to nose.

"What was that?"

Amelia groaned, "We're hiding from them because they think we're dating."

Neville stared at her. It took him several seconds to breathe again. "Who gave you that idea?"

"Daniella and the rest of my roommates. They asked me our first night back. Now I'm paranoid that everyone's talking about me, about us behind our backs."

"Well the rumors aren't true so why should they bother you?"

Amelia wanted to tell him that she didn't want people talking about her, about her precious friendship with Neville. And she didn't want people speculating about how she felt about him. And how she didn't want them wondering if she really ached everytime she saw him. She wanted to say all this but the words stopped at the tip of her tongue.

Neville gave her a look of disappointment and sighed, "Alright. Goodnight, Amelia. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Neville, wait-"

"It's okay. I have to go." He said, turning on his heel, leaving her behind to think about how she could have been so selfish as to take a perfecly good moment and ruin it in the span of a few seconds.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six: Unease

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Twenty-Six:** **Unease**

The entire school was buzzing with excitement. Today was the day the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students were arriving. Many students had never seen a foreign with or wizard or had any idea how they behaved. For weeks, Amelia had heard nothing but speculation as to how they used magic, what spells they used, and if they were attractive or not. Amelia knew from personal experience with both schools that they were not very attractive at all, that their personalities drastically took away from whatever looks they may have.

She shook this thought out of her head as she joined her roommates by the window to watch as a large ship appeared from beneath the surface of the Black Lake. She shivered at the Durmstrang crest painted on their fluttering flag, which filled her with memories of her old life that she would rather leave behind.

The Beauxbaton's pegasus-drawn carriage descended from the clouds. This too brought back unwanted memories of when her mother wanted her to attend the French wizarding school instead of Hogwarts. She recalled taking many tours of the old, cathedral-like building when she was nine years old.

"They're so elegant." Carmen whispered beside her as the carriage landed and the ship lowered its anchor.

Violet rolled her eyes, "You'd think anything was elegant if it had a chiseled face and spoke a foreign language."

"Don't be mean." Daniella scolded, "Even you have to admit that they're fascinating, don't you think, Amelia?"

"I don't know." She replied, even though she did.

The students of Beauxbatons departed the carriage, swishing their long, luxurious hair behind them. Their beautiful blue silk uniforms glimmered in the sunlight, making them seem even more radiant than they already were.

"I hear half of them are part Veela." Carmen giggled, "You know what they say about Veela."

Daniella grinned, "I wish we had some Veela at our school."

"They may look nice but they can be rather nasty." Amelia mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Joyce asked, whipping around dramatically.

Amelia's cheeks flushed, "Nothing."

"No, you said something. What was it?"

She wasn't going to say anything. But she broke under the gaze of all her roommates. "When my parents thought that they would send my brother and I to other schools besides Hogwarts, I spent some time visiting Beauxbatons. My mother was, is, friends with some of the professors and parents there. Over the years she's invited them to balls we've had at our homes. I got to know some of the students."

"Wow." Carmen breathed, "You have to introduce us!"

"What?" She cried, "No!"

"You're one of them, Amelia! It shouldn't be too terrifying." Violet added.

Daniella noticed the anxious look on Amelia's face and shook her head. "Will you two bugger off? Amelia can do whatever she'd like to do and if she doesn't feel like introducing you sorry lot to those posh people maybe she has a reason."

Amelia smiled gratefully at Daniella and nodded, "Exactly."

Violet pulled a face, "Anyway, I'd like to meet them mostly for their knowledge. I'm sure they knows quite a lot more than we do in regards to magic. Did you know that the United Kingdom was actually one of the last places in Europe to learn about magic?"

Carmen rolled her eyes, "And this is important, why?"

"Because. If I'm to become a Foreign Ambassador of Magic, I have to know everything I can about all kinds of foreign magical policies. It's essential."

"Yes but not when you're thirteen. You might as well flirt while they're here." Joyce said this as if it was obvious.

"Flirting. A lazy man's excuse at conversation."

Everyone rolled their eyes at their roommate's cynicism. Even Amelia knew there was much more to flirting than Violet was aware of.

"Attention all students." Professor McGonagall's voice rang out through the school. "Our honored guests have arrived. Please be gracious hosts and welcome them with open minds and hearts. There will be an announcement regarding the tournament tonight at dinner. Until then, I trust you will get to know one another in an amicable and appropriate way. Thank you."

They might as well have cancelled classes for the rest of the day. The excitement of meeting the newest tenants of Hogwarts was too much for even the most composed of students to handle. Everyone was talking about the beautiful Beauxbatons or the intimidating Durmstrangs. Too many people bragged that they had been looked at by one or the other.

"This is almost as bad as when Harry came to school for the first time. For the first two months or so, all anyone could talk about was seeing him in the hallway. People watched him eat breakfast." Neville said that afternoon while they dusted the workbenches in the greenhouses.

Amelia laughed, "He must have loved that."

"He didn't know what to think of it, I think. He was so used to being overlooked."

"My roommates were fawning over everyone who passed by our window. I think Carmen completely fell for the Durmstrangs as soon as they stepped off the boat."

"She and every other girl in this school." Neville sighed.

Amelia laughed, "As if you didn't think the Beauxbatons girls weren't lovely. Veela have a way with men like you."

"Men like me?" Neville chuckled, "What's that mean?"

"Single. Emotionally available." She answered, "My mum's 1/8 Veela. She had men all over her until she finally chose my father."

"I wasn't that affected by them actually." Neville said, "Besides I'm not exactly completely emotionally available."

Amelia looked at him and bit her lip, "What's that mean?"

He seemed to realize his error then and attempted to cover it up. "I found myself drawn more towards those Durmstrangs, anyway. I've always had a thing for Russians."

It took a beat before Amelia realized he was joking. She burst into laughter which made Neville laugh as well. "You're ridiculous." She gasped through her giggles.

"Well what about you?"

"What about me?" Amelia replied, rolling her eyes, "It's not like I'm old enough to even be considered by anyone."

"Do you have your eye on someone?" Neville asked, high voice a slightly higher pitch. "Someone from Durmstrang?"

She shook her head, "Merlin, no. From what I know of them, they're much too into their dark magic. I've had enough of that for ten lifetimes."

"Fair enough." Amelia thought he was finished until he said, "Are you interested in anyone at all?"

"Not me, thank you very much." She replied. "I'm a bit young, don't you think."

"Not too young to start looking. Ginny's been interested in Harry since she was younger than you. Gran and my gramps knew each other as children and she says she was smitten with him from the day she first saw him."

Amelia smiled, "As sweet as that is, I don't know if that's the way it's going to happen for me."

"I don't know about that." Neville said softly, looking at her oddly. She opened her mouth to ask him what he meant by that but Professor Sprout walked into the greenhouse, looking stressed.

"What are you two still doing here? Dinner's starting soon! Professor Dumbledore has strict orders not to dilly dally."

The friends blushed simultaneously and muttered their apologies to the her. Once they properly cleaned off their dirty hands, Neville and Amelia walked to the Great Hall together in silence. And when the time came for them to go their separate ways, they only glanced at each other before doing so.

She hardly noticed the familiar faces of the Durmstrangs and Beauxbatons as they came into the Great Hall. She was more concerned with the fact that she could no longer look or talk to her best friend without feeling _something_.

The next day, she tried her best to formulate the best way to describe her complicated feelings towards Neville. She wanted to talk to someone desperately, someone she knew would understand. Unfortunately, the only person she knew would not judge her was Neville himself.

So she was left in silent suffering all day. Amelia was forced to cover up her anguish with faux excitement over the champion selection that would take place that evening. Luckily, the fakeness of it all eventually turned into real excitement. Who wouldn't be incited by dangerous feats and daring heroes? To Amelia it all seemed like something out of a fairy tale.

Finally, the hour arrived that the Goblet of Fire would make its selections. The whole school was practically bursting with anticipation. Amelia was afraid that she wouldn't be able to hear anything but her nerves were put to rest when Professor Dumbledore dimmed the lights and shushed the students.

"The time has come," Professor Dumbledore said as the room grew dark. "It is time to announce our champions of the Triwizard Tournament." He waved his hand over the top of the goblet which burned with blue fire. It took several minutes but at last, a piece of parchment shot up and fluttered down into his hands. "First, from Durmstrang: Viktor Krum!"

The strong, muscley students of Durmstrang cheered loudly for their peer along with all the Quidditch fanatics who were in love with the star Seeker.

"And now, from Beauxbatons," Professor Dumbledore cried as the room settled down. "Miss Fleur Delacour!"

Once again, a huge round of applause arose. A tall girl with long, straight blonde hair danced up to shake Professor Dumbledore's hand firmly. Amelia vaguely recognized her from one ball or another. She was wealthy and her family was powerful.

Finally, Professor Dumbledore selected the last champion from the goblet, the one from Hogwarts. "And our third contestant is: Cedric Diggory!"

The Hufflepuff table was a madhouse of excitement. Even Amelia was ecstatic. Cedric, out of everyone else in the school, was charming and loyal: the truest of all Hufflepuffs. Amelia firmly believed he had a very good chance of winning the tournament.

Suddenly, the goblet glowed red. It licked the air violently and unforgivably. And then it threw up a tattered and burned piece of parchment.

The students were murmuring anxiously, no one knowing what was going on. Dumbledore caught the paper and read it. Amelia could feel the tension suffocating everyone in the room.

"Harry Potter." Dumbledore whispered, "Harry Potter." He cried louder. When no one appeared, he screamed, "Harry Potter!"

Amelia felt her hear hammer in her chest as Harry started up toward the headmaster. She saw the fear glimmering in his eyes.

"He's a cheat!" Someone cried.

"He isn't even seventeen yet!" Jude called from behind her.

She could feel the anger rising, particularly among the Hufflepuffs, who wanted the honor of having the Hogwarts champion come from their often forgotten house. Amelia didn't know if Harry had really put his name in the goblet or not; all she cared about was how scared she was for him.

Once the students were dismissed, it was clear what was happening. Students were picking sides: Cedric or Harry. Amelia was anxious. A civil war among the students would mean that she would be expected to be supportive of Cedric, a boy whom she had known for some time, who she knew deserved this chance above all others.

It wasn't until the next morning that she saw Neville again, their tension forgotten, and could ask him about what the Gryffindors thought of all this.

"Well," he said, seeming uncomfortable, "most of them think he put his name in himself. They're mad so they're for Cedric. But I think some of them will come around eventually."

"What do you think about it?" Amelia asked as they worked quietly in the library.

He shrugged, "It's hard to know, really. I don't want to believe that Harry put his own name in. He'd be mad if he did. And I couldn't imagine he'd want more attention on him."

Amelia smiled, "That's what I was thinking. I just wish no one was fighting over this. It seems pointless. It's not like there's anything they can do about it."

Neville didn't say anything. At least, not at first. Then, he set down his work and pushed hers away so she would look up at him.

"Listen, I know that I've been acting strange over the past few days. I feel like it's thrown things off a little."

Amelia blushed, "I've noticed."

"I'm really sorry. I guess I just haven't been feeling well. I just want you to know…" he paused to gather his thoughts, "that you and me…we're going to be friends for a long time. I don't plan on messing things up, alright?"

She nodded, feeling a twinge in her chest. "Of course. We'll always be friends."

"Always." Neville repeated. "Always."

And although Amelia was glad that she wasn't losing Neville, she felt as though he had closed a door that she hadn't even known she wanted open. .


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Panic

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven: Panic**

By the time the First Task rolled around, the general fury towards Harry had died down and he had a slew of supporters cheering his name on the big day. This was relieving to Amelia. She would have hated for him to go through this alone. She was very aware of how lonely life could be.

She and Neville packed into the stands with her roommates, who had insisted that she watch the task with them. She wasn't sure, but she suspected they wanted to spy on them. She had, in fact, heard them whispering about it the night before.

"Isn't bleeding cold out here, isn't it?" Neville said, rubbing his hands together, "You'd think they might want to come up with an indoor activity."

"I don't think there are many dangerous tasks one can do indoors." Violet commented.

Daniella rolled her eyes, "You don't always have to go around contradicting people, you know. Sometimes people are being sarcastic."

Violet blinked as if she didn't know the meaning of the word. Joyce and Carmen giggled simultaneously, getting everyone to look over at them.

"What is it now?" Violet sighed.

"There's a _beautiful_ Durmstrang over there that we've seen all week. I don't know his name," Carmen said, "but he's absolutely perfect."

"Have you even spoken to him?" Amelia asked.

She shook her head as if she was in a trance, "No."

"Well then how do you know if he's bloody perfect?" Daniella asked, "Why don't you buck up the courage and talk to him?"

"Oh we couldn't." Joyce said, "He wouldn't talk to third years like us."

"Exactly." Carmen said, "And even if he did, he probably wouldn't like us at all."

Violet and Carmen looked at each other before they argued that girls really should have more confidence when it came to men and self-esteem. Carmen and Joyce fought back by saying that pride was more important to them. Violet pointed out they probably didn't understand the word pride in this context. And they continued on like that for many more minutes.

Neville began to laugh, "Interesting friends of yours, they are."

"Unfortunately."

"Come on, Mel. I think even you have to admit they're your friends now. Might even replace me one day."

"Oh, shut up." Amelia replied, rolling her eyes.

"I just hope that you'll be respectful enough to let me know when my services are no longer required." Neville cried, drawing the attention of multiple people around them. Including her brother and the rest of his Slytherin gang. They began to tease the group incessantly, bragging about their "clean blood" and wise choice of friends.

Amelia got so angry suddenly that she started towards her brother but was pulled back quickly by Neville. Daniella, too, had opened her mouth to shoot something foul towards the Slytherins. Fortunately, for everyone involved, the cannon that signaled the start of the task resounded through the stadium.

The situation was forgotten then as the rules were quickly recapped as Viktor Krum stepped out from the tent and a huge, red dragon was released into the arena. It bared its pointed teeth and roared, breathing out dangerous flames.

"Bloody hell." Neville whispered. "That's a dragon."

The task passed gloriously. Champion after champion faced their dragon with absolute courage and intelligence. They were everything anyone could ask of a hero. All of them managed to capture their golden egg successfully and get away with minimal scrapes and bruises. Amelia had to admit that, although Cedric had the fastest time of the day, Harry's retrieval was far more impressive thanks to his outstanding flying skills.

"What an event!" Daniella cried, jumping up and down after it was all over. "I knew this thing was going to be wicked but this, this was much more than what I thought. Dragons! Actual dragons!"

"I can't wait to hear what Ced has to say at the party." Carmen tittered. She looked at Amelia, "Are you coming?"

She shrugged, "I might. I have some reading to do though."

"Oh, please. You can read any old night. Cedric has the egg!" Joyce pleaded, "It's going to be so much fun. And Ernie's going to be there!"

"All the champions have their eggs. And I don't have to be at the party to watch you flirt with Ernie. You do that all the time."

"But this could be the night I actually tell him!"

"What happened to the gorgeous Durmstrang?" Daniella asked, smirking.

Joyce blushed, "There's nothing wrong with keeping my options open if one door closes. Have fun reading, Amelia."

"Reading sounds awfully boring compared to the Gryffindor party. Want to come?" Neville asked once her roommates had walked on ahead.

"Gryffindor party?" Amelia said wearily, "What is it with these people and their parties?"

"Hey, you've got me. But I think it'd be cool to go. And since you obviously made up that reading you have to do, I know you have no excuse not to come."

"But it's Gryffindor, Nev. I'm not going to fit in with that crowd. I hardly fit into my own house's crowd. Imagine me in a room with Gryffindors."

Neville laughed heartily, "Now you know how I feel every day. Besides, you won't be alone. I'll be there. You don't have to talk to anyone besides me." He could tell that he was wearing her down because his smile got bigger as he continued, "Plus there'll be food and someone's probably going to start dancing drunkenly. You can't tell me you'll want to miss that."

She sighed and shook her head, "Fine. You've convinced me. When is this party anyway?"

"Right now!" He exclaimed, grabbing her hand. He and Amelia ran all the way from the arena to the Gryffindor common room, only pausing to apologize to people they had accidentally run into. Amelia laughed the whole time, her cheeks red from the cold, delight, and something else.

By the time they arrived, the party had already started, which didn't surprise Amelia that much. Leave it to a Gryffindor to throw a party together quickly.

"Neville!" Seamus Finnigan called from his seat, "Come on over, mate."

Neville glanced at Amelia before he went over to his friends. She followed dutifully after him, slightly afraid of what would happen if she was left alone.

"Hello there, Amelia." Seamus said, giving Neville a look. "I didn't realize this was the kind of party for dates."

"It's not." Neville said quickly, "I mean, it's not a date. We're friends, I've told you that before, Seamus."

Amelia blushed at this. Seamus' statement only confirmed what her roommates had told her at the start of the year. Even Neville's friends were asking him about them.

"You're right. You have told me that before." Seamus said, turning around to wink at Dean Thomas. "Anyway, enjoy yourself, Amelia. We haven't had a good party in a while."

Neville explained, "The Quidditch team likes to have a thing every time they win a match. They usually get a little…carried away."

Amelia laughed at this, "Hufflepuffs do that too. Jude, one of our prefects, got so drunk once he had to miss two days of classes before he could walk without vomiting with every step."

"Merlin, Amelia." Seamus said, his nose crinkling, "That's an image I didn't need."

It took only a few more minutes of conversation with these boys before she realized that she liked them. They were Neville's friends after all, and although they weren't quite like him, they were enough to make her feel comfortable and welcome.

About an hour into the party, Amelia could sense it intensifying. The music became louder and the students got slowly more drunk. Harry had recently reappeared with his coveted golden egg which had caused a mad enthusiasm until it nearly deafened them with its high pitched scream.

The common room was dark and Amelia felt hot from being surrounded by bodies. Neville was sitting close to her on the couch and she could smell the dirt on him from where she was sitting. If she exhaled, her breath would rustle his hair.

"Are you thirsty?" He asked her while Seamus and Dean were immersed in a conversation about Quidditch that she had no interest in.

She gave him a look, "Are there any drinks that don't have alcohol in it?"

"I'm sure I could find some." He chuckled. "I'll be back."

As soon as he was gone, Seamus and Dean stopped their conversation and leaned towards her. Amelia stiffened.

"So what's the deal with you guys?" Seamus asked, grinning crookedly.

"What do you mean?" Amelia blinked.

"Please," Dean scoffed, "we all know that Neville is obsessed with you. He talks about you nonstop. He looks forward to going to the bloody greenhouses every day."

"He does?" She felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Yeah!" Seamus said, "At first we thought it was just because of the Herbology. And sure, maybe he's a nerd for it, but he's also a nerd for you."

"We're just friends." Amelia said, "Best friends."

"I don't doubt that." Dean said, "But you two are awfully close. I wouldn't be surprised if best friends turned to something else one day."

"I didn't realize anybody cared this much about our relationship." Amelia said a little harshly.

Seamus smacked Dean's head, "Nice going, Dean. Hey, we're sorry, Amelia. It really isn't any of our business but-"

Amelia stood up abruptly. She was suddenly having a very hard time breathing, "I should go find Neville to say goodbye. I'm not feeling very well."

"Amelia-"

"No, it's okay." She said, "I'm really, really-" She cut herself off, weaving through the crowd. It was hot and it smelled like smoke, sweat, and beer. She blinked rapidly trying to clear her head. Behind her, she could hear Seamus and Dean calling her back but she ignored them. Right now, her only goal was to get out.

Amelia could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she tried to get to the door. At this point she didn't even care about saying goodbye to Neville, all she needed was fresh air.

But then she heard someone call her name, closer, kinder. Neville took her hand for the second time that day. But this time, instead of it being from thrilling excitement, it was from care and love.

"Are you alright? I got back to where we were sitting and Seamus had said you'd gone off somewhere. He said you looked sick."

She shook her head and let out a breath, "No, I just…"

He studied her face and took in her trembling body. "You were having a panic attack again weren't you?" His thumb grazed her knuckles carefully.

"I-I don't know. I think so."

"What happened? Did someone mention your father?"

 _No. Someone mentioned you…_ Amelia thought. She bit her lip. "Yes."

"Well I'm sorry. I should have told them that was a sensitive subject for you. I'll talk to Seamus."

Amelia wanted to protest, to tell Neville that Seamus hadn't actually done anything wrong. But then he would ask questions and she didn't want him to wonder when even she didn't know the answers.

"I'll be fine." She assured him, "Let's go sit back down."

Neville looked unsure and he opened his mouth to say something but Amelia squeezed his hand and smiled at him and he completely forgot what he was going to say.

A few days later, Amelia had forgotten about the incident at the Gryffindor party. She was glad of this, glad that, for once, dangerous thoughts didn't linger any longer than they were supposed to.

Besides, the stress of performing well in Defense Against the Dark Arts was enough to distract her from anything.

She was trying her best to copy down notes as Professor Moody spoke at an inhuman rate, discussing the effects of a werewolf's bite, when Professor McGonagall entered the room.

"So sorry to interrupt, Professor." She apologized, "I'm here to collect Amelia. Professor Dumbledore would like to speak with her."

Professor Moody gruffly nodded before continuing his lesson.

At Professor McGonagall's words, Amelia had seized up and panicked. She had never had to visit the headmaster's office and she had once been proud of that fact. Until now.

Professor McGonagall must have seen that Amelia was about to burst into tears because she smiled.

"Don't worry, Miss Malfoy, it's nothing bad. Professor Dumbledore just has a few questions for you."

Amelia said nothing but stoically followed her teacher out of the room. Their footsteps on the cold stones seemed louder, the corridors seemed colder, and the candles seemed to be burning dimmer than they had been. Anxiety kept a tight grip on her throat the whole walk to the gargoyle.

"Licorice Wand." Professor McGonagall said simply as she faced the sinister statue. It gave a mighty rumble and began to turn, revealing a set of tall stairs leading up to the headmaster.

They walked up together slowly but when they reached a thick, oak door, Professor McGonagall stopped.

"Smile, dear. You aren't in any trouble at all." She said, "I can't come in with you I'm afraid, but you'll be perfectly fine, I promise."

Amelia forced on a hopeful smile. "Thank you, Professor."

Professor McGonagall knocked twice on the door which immediately swung open.

"Send her in, Minerva."

Amelia glanced at Professor McGonagall and, after being given an encouraging nod, entered the ominous room.

Of course, it only appeared ominous. As soon as she entered, warmth spread through her. She couldn't help but smile. A sense of peace settled over her.

"Welcome, Amelia." Professor Dumbledore said from his desk. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting face to face. I've met your brother, of course. He's quite an excellent student. Very impressive. Though he's a bit of a troublemaker. And you've done very well yourself. I'm quite proud of how you've risen up in Hufflepuff house even though you were hesitant at first."

Amelia blushed. She hadn't known that anyone else had been aware of her contempt of Hufflepuff in her first year.

"Now. The reason I've brought you here. I believe you know of a certain house elf by the name of Dobby."

She was surprised by this. She hadn't heard or seen Dobby since he had been accidentally dismissed by her father in her first year.

"Uh yes, sir. I do."

"Excellent. Well, I was considering hiring him to work in the kitchens and do odd jobs around the castle here and there and since he would be getting paid for this, I wanted to see if his prior employers would recommend him."

Amelia smiled broadly, "That's lovely."

"Isn't it?" Professor Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, "I was hoping to get your impression on the elf. I know he served your household for many years."

"Dobby's excellent, sir!" Amelia affirmed. "He's always been so kind and loyal, even though the family he served wasn't quite appreciative."

Dumbledore grinned, "You speak very highly of him."

"He and the other elves practically raised me and my brother." Amelia explained, "We weren't close but I knew him enough to care for him."

The headmaster scribbled a few things down on a piece of parchment before setting down his quill and standing.

"I would just like to speak to you about one more things before you leave. There have been several reported incidents of you having panic attacks while you've been here. I also know that you are now staying at Neville Longbottom's house rather than with your family. You seem to only spend your time with Mr. Longbottom and rarely with anyone else. I was just wondering if you're doing alright?"

This was a heavy question. Professor Dumbledore had just revealed that he knew about everything that haunted Amelia's dreams at night. And the answer was that Amelia didn't know if she was alright or not.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Please don't hesitate to tell me anything you need to." He looked at her expectantly, as if he knew that she was going to spill all of her secrets to him.

Amelia stared at him and bit her bottom lip. She had two choices. She could push off Dumbledore's attempt to help her, pretend that nothing was wrong. Or, she could face it head on and try to heal.

"I'm sure you know that my father isn't a very nice man, Professor. I think you are aware that he has a temper." The headmaster only looked at her. "I suppose what prompted my leaving home was his aggression towards me." Amelia hoped this was enough to make him understand. "It was that and my anti-Death Eater beliefs. He threw me out because of it. So I went to the only place where I knew I would be welcome."

"And this was Mr. Longbottom's house."

"Yes."

"And as for your panic attacks-"

"I don't know. It's just something that happens."

Professor Dumbledore eyed her for several seconds before nodding his head, "I understand. Thank you for confiding in me. I promise you, Amelia, that information will not leave this room."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. The only other person who really knows this is Neville."

"I'm glad you have him to depend on." He smiled at her kindly, "Now I'm afraid I've kept you from your Defense Against the Dark Arts class for too long. I'd love to speak to you again sometime, Amelia."

She stood up on shaky legs and nodded firmly at the headmaster. "I would too, Professor." When she said this, she was surprised that she was being honest. She hadn't realized how relieving it would be to talk about her home life with someone other than her best friend. All she needed was an unbiased listener to hear her troubles.

As she walked back to class, she felt a little bit lighter, a little bit happier, and a little bit braver.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Fiery

**Chapter Twenty-** **Eight: Fiery**

Although Muggle Studies was Amelia's favorite class, it happened to have one of her least favorite people in it. Marius Chancy, as she had quickly learned, was not only an arrogant and obnoxious boy, but also a know-it-all. Or rather, a try-to-know-it-all.

Each class, he insisted on raising his hand pretending he knew everything about Muggle culture. And each class, he ended up being proven wrong. But instead of being discouraged by constantly being incorrect, he attempted to argue with Professor Burbage. He never seemed to remember that there were other people in the class beside himself.

Which is why it surprised her when he approached her after class one day. Neville was waiting outside of the classroom for her but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by Marius.

"Amelia Malfoy, right?" Marius asked, gently touching her elbow.

She stared at him momentarily before saying, "That's me."

"Excellent. Well I'm Marius Chancy." He held out a hand for her to shake.

"I know." She replied, shaking it hesitantly. "Can I help you with something?"

He sighed and shook his head, "I'm usually very good at school. I've never struggled until I enrolled in this class. I'm having a lot of trouble. Anyway it's very embarrassing. Professor Burbage recommended that I talk to you."

"To me?"

"She said you're one of her best students." Marius explained, "I'm not exactly sure how this whole tutoring thing works but I can give you my available days and we can set up a schedule. Now, I have a suggestion for how we tackle this since I know you're less than responsible when it comes to time management. And you must understand how awkward this is for me, asking for your help. I mean, you're a Malfoy, after all."

"I'm sorry." Amelia said, wildly confused. "Are you asking me to tutor you?"

Marius flushed red, "Did I not ask that? Sorry, I get carried away sometimes. Yes, I'm asking you to tutor me. It wouldn't be for very long, just enough to get me back on my feet."

She crossed her arms, "Am I supposed to say yes to that?"

He looked stunned, "I'm sorry?"

"I'm supposed to agree to tutoring you when you just insulted me?"

"Insulted you? I-"

"Do you think I'm a complete idiot? And so what if I am a Malfoy, my name doesn't define me."

Marius was getting angry now himself, "Did I do something to you?"

"Besides the things I've already talked about? No, I think that's about it. I'm afraid you're going to have to find another tutor. I'm busy." Amelia said, backing away from him slowly.

"Fine. I probably wouldn't have learned much anyway." It was clear that Marius had not been prepared to be rejected like this. He was flustered and red. Amelia seemed to have robbed him of any elegance and grace he had before.

"That's funny to hear coming from the guy who thought a computer monitor was picture frame for giants." She heard Neville snicker behind her which made her smile.

Marius glared at her wickedly, "Believe me, Malfoy, you're going to regret humiliating me like this. I can promise that."

"I'm looking forward to it." She spun around, inflamed, and grabbed Neville's hand, dragging him to the greenhouses. She muttered angrily to herself the whole walk there.

Neville had said anything yet, though she knew he would eventually. Surely her rare behavior would register some sort of reaction. Luckily, when they arrived, he did just that.

As she threw her school things on an empty workbench and began cleaning from the previous lesson, Neville stood in the doorway. He was looking at her strangely, like something was on the tip of his tongue and he couldn't quite think of how he should say it.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice sharp. She was still reeling from her conversation with Marius.

Neville, finally, began laughing harder than she had ever seen. He leaned over a table, holding himself up as he shook. Amelia watched him like he was a wild, intoxicated man. After several minutes of this going on, she stopped him

"What's going on, Nev?"

He eventually wiped at his eyes and answered her. "That, my friend, was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I didn't know you hated anyone that much. You really gave it to him."

"I didn't know I hated anyone that much either." She replied, shrugging. "But he just bugs me to oblivion. You should see him in class."

Neville settled down at last and began working beside her. "Would you have tutored him if he hadn't insulted you like that?"

"No, I wouldn't have thank you very much. He's a- a-"

"A what?"

"I don't know. But that's what he is."

He chuckled and continued his work. They had been tasked by Professor Sprout several days ago to prepare the plants for the influx of snowfall that was about to happen. That didn't mean that it was cold, because it was.

Amelia's winter hat was pulled snugly over her ears and her black and yellow scarf was wrapped so tightly around her neck, that it nearly suffocated her. Her nose was bright pink and her breath came out in puffs. Neville worked right beside her and she oculd feel his body heat through her coat. She could feel his eyes on her, studying her movements.

"Amelia?" He said suddenly, his voice was soft.

She didn't look up from her work, "Yes, Nev?"

"Do you think anyone would go with me to the Yule Ball?" She noticed he had stopped what he was doing.

"I think so," She replied, "I think anyone would be lucky to go with you."

He turned to look at her, his cheeks red, "Would you?"

This time she stopped and looked at him in his beautiful eyes. "What?"

"Would you go to the Ball if I asked you?" He repeated. He picked at the frayed finger of his glove and avoided her eye contact.

Amelia considered this and swallowed slowly, "Um, yeah. If I was allowed to go." It had been announced that only fourth years and above were allowed to go to the ball. Her roommates had been distraught but she wasn't as insulted by it as they were.

Neville's eyes brightened, "You are. I asked McGonagall."

There were several beats of silence before Amelia said anything, "Why did you ask?"

"Because I knew I wanted to ask you." He replied easily.

"Why me?"

"Because I don't want to go if my best friend can't be there." It was clear that he was getting a little tired of all the questions. "I think it would be fun. But if you really don't want to go... I know it's not something you would normally be into."

"I'll go." She said quietly, looking down at her hands. She didn't see Neville's face break out in a huge grin.

"Brilliant! Thank you, Mel! I've been practicing dancing every night and it's really not that hard, I'm sure you'll catch on quickly."

Amelia couldn't help but smile, "I'm afraid I didn't bring anything to wear."

Neville considered this, "There's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up. There should be shops in town."

"I can ask Daniella to help me, I suppose. She might know a tad more about it than you." She teased.

"You're not wrong." Neville agreed. Then he smiled at her again, "I think we'll have fun, don't you?"

She never thought she would actually enjoy herself at a ball. She had spent years under the intense scrutiny and disapproval of her parents whenever they held an event like this. It had calloused her into believing that balls were things of torture rather than enjoyment. But she knew that things would be infinitely better with Neville beside her. "Yeah, I think so."

Neville seemed to sense the hesitation in her voice because he grabbed her hand and held it tightly, "I'm not going to let anyone make you uncomfortable. You won't have to worry about that."

Amelia felt her heart swell and felt the familiar tug in her stomach that had haunted her for several months. And now, she was starting to recognize that this flutter was not as platonic as she had once believed. Now, she understood that it meant much more than that. That it was, quite possibly, the feeling of infatuation.

There was a clatter outside of the greenhouses that shocked her back into reality. For a moment, she saw a flash of white-blonde hair and she knew.

"I'll be right back, Nev, okay?" She said, before slipping out and running after the figure. "Draco? Draco, is that you?" Her suspicions were confirmed when her brother whirled around and faced her with an enraged look on his face.

"I can't believe it. You've actually done it."

"Done what?"

"You know, I'd heard rumors, Amelia, but I didn't actually believe them until I just saw it for myself."

"What are you-"

"You and Longbottom! You're obviously dating now. I thought Mother and Father had raised you better than to stoop that low."

"Hey!" Amelia cried, "That's my best friend you're talking about. We're not dating, funnily enough. For some reason, no one in this bloody school believes that a boy and a girl can be friends without eventually falling in love with one another. That's not that case here!" It pained her to lie like this. "And you have no right to judge me anyway. Father's disowned me which means I'm no longer a part of your family. You can't talk to me like this."

Draco snarled at her, "Just because you're not in our family anymore, doesn't mean I don't care. I don't want to see you wasting away, not using your potential. You used to have a lot. The longer you've spent with that bumbling oaf, the more it's disappeared."

Amelia shook her head, "I'm not listening to you. Neville and I are going to the ball together. You might as well accept that. If not, I don't really care. But it's happening no matter what. I'll see you around, Draco."

Before her brother could say any more insulting things, she walked away quickly. She was glad that her back was to him so he couldn't see the tears that were now falling down her cheeks. She wasn't about to show him that he still got to her, that he and the rest of her damn family still had a death grip on her life.

Later that evening when she returned to her dormitory, she was greeted by Daniella and Violet warmly. They didn't seem to notice anything wrong with her mood.

"Hi there, Amelia." Daniella said, "You have a package on your bed?"

"A package? It's not Christmas yet." She said, seeing that there was in fact a small wrapped box on her pillow. She picked it up carefully and examined it, noticing a note attached securely.

 _To my dearest Amelia. So you never forget._

The note confused her so she opened the present. She was surprised to find that the gift was a familiar locket that had once hung around the neck of her mother. Amelia recalled from when she was a young girl, no older than three, when she sat on her mother's lap and played with the beautiful charm. It had once held a photograph of her and Draco, but now it was a family portrait.

Amelia felt something rise up in her throat. For once, she wasn't brought to tears in remembrance of her lost family, but rather, hope that they might love one another again someday. Without considering it for even a moment longer, she clasped the locket around her neck and let it dangle by her heart, where she knew that her family would always be, no matter what.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine: Frigid

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine: Frigid**

On Christmas Day, Amelia woke up feeling terribly nervous. Everyone else was in a very chipper mood, as the holidays usually did that to people. She and her roommates spent the morning together, opening their gifts from one another.

It was altogether a very pleasant time. Amelia actually enjoyed herself; she laughed and smiled. Her ridiculous girls were enough to distract her from the agonizing stomach ache that was raging inside her at the moment.

After presents, her roommates decided it was time to start getting Amelia ready for the ball. At first, she was afraid that she wouldn't have any fun with her friends tittering around her, discussing things about fashion she had no idea about. But in reality, only Joyce was the expert. Everyone else was just as clueless as her.

Which is why it took nearly the whole day for her to get ready. And when she finally looked at herself in the mirror half an hour before the ball began, she was strangely pleased.

"Oh, Amelia!" Daniella cried, "You look lovely!"

She blushed, "Really?"

"Yes! Neville is so lucky he's taking you!" She winked at her suggestively.

"You know it's not like that." Amelia said, frowning.

Daniella shrugged, "But if he asked you, he must want you to be more than friends. Right?"

"He told me he wanted his best friend there. That's the only reason he asked." Amelia insisted.

Daniella rolled her eyes, "Please. We both know that's not true. And I bet by the end of tonight he'll tell you so himself."

Amelia smiled at herself in the mirror, silently hoping that Neville would somehow tell her that she wasn't insane for thinking of him in the way she did. She took hold of the skirt of her dress and twirled it, admiring the loveliness of it.

The dress had been one she found in a shop in Hogsmeade two weeks ago. It reminded her of a flapper dress, like something Daisy would have worn in _The Great Gatsby_. She had liked the dress upon walking by it the first time. The second and third times, she'd stood and looked at it for far longer. Finally, Daniella made her try it on.

"I think you're ready." Daniella decided, making a final touch on Amelia's hair. "You have a wonderful time, understand? If I don't hear every detail of your night I'll be right angry with you."

Amelia laughed, "I promise to tell you everything. Now, I really must go. Neville is probably wondering where I am."

Downstairs, all of the older students were gathering, talking loudly and laughing. Amelia felt significantly out of place. She almost turned right around and went back upstairs when she heard Jude scream her name.

"Amelia! What are you doing here?" He was very visibly tipsy.

"I was invited." She replied simply.

His eyes got wide, "Well lookie here! You've got yourself a boyfriend?"

"No." Amelia blushed, "Just a friend."

Jude didn't look convinced. He didn't look certain either. He really only looked drunk. "Amelia, I'd like to introduce you to my date, Catherine."

Amelia recognized his pretty date as the sixth year prefect. "Hello." She said politely. She was going to comment on her dress when Cedric Diggory, in all his fame and glory, came up from behind Jude and wrapped his long arms around his shoulder.

"Who's ready for a great dance?" He was asking this to the older students. Then he saw Amelia and something dawned on him. "You're Amelia, right? The third year?" She nodded. "Your date's waiting by the door."

Amelia's heart picked up a little bit. She didn't know why. She was just suddenly very excited to see Neville. His friendly face would ease her nerves. She pushed her way through the crowd of rowdy Hufflepuffs to the entrance. There, Neville was standing nervously, shuffling his feet and rubbing his hands. He saw her then and smiled brightly. His face flushed and hers did too as his eyes took her in.

"Mel, you look great!" He told her.

"Thank you." She replied, smiling. She secretly admitted to herself that Neville looked very much like the photographs she had seen of his father, handsome and scrappy.

He handed her a small flower, "Gran thought I should give you a flower. I found this outside in the courtyard on my way here."

Amelia took the flower delicately. She grinned broadly, "It's wonderful, Nev. I love heather!" She carefully took the flower and tucked it behind her ear, into her hair. When she looked back at Neville, he was blushing.

"Are you ready to go?"

She nodded sweetly, observing how nervous Neville appeared to be. She threaded her fingers through his and pulled him through the door. They walked easily and happily together until they were outside of the Great Hall.

"Amelia, wait." Neville said, smiling. "I want to give you your Christmas present before we go in."

"Nev, you didn't have to get me a present this year. Taking me to the ball was plenty." Amelia sighed.

He grinned crookedly at her, "You know that's not true. Now here, accept my gift before I have to force it on you."

She laughed and began to open it carefully. "What book have you given me this year?"

He blushed and answered, "Bridge to Terabithia. My mother's favorite. Gran says she used to read it to me when I was a baby. I thought you might read it to me sometime."

"You haven't read it yourself?"

"No. I think it's better when it's read by someone I admire above everything else." Neville said, smiling kindly at her, "I figured this was a good way of explaining how much you mean to me."

Amelia's heart rate picked up significantly. "Nev?"

"Mel, I-"

"Neville!"

Ron Weasley came up to them wearing one of the ugliest things Amelia had ever seen. He looked at the disgust on her face and sighed. "It's not my fault. My mum just has no sense of embarrassment or love for her youngest son."

"You don't look that bad." Neville said hesitantly.

"Yes I do. My date's too ashamed to be seen with me. She's ditched me for some Durmstrang."

Amelia frowned, "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Padma isn't that interesting anyway. I figured I could hang out with you guys for the night until Harry gets done with his duties."

Neville looked at Amelia who looked right back at him. They made the silent agreement to let Ron interrupt their conversation.

When the trio walked into the Great Hall, the Champions had just started their dances with their dates. Everyone looked so ethereal that Amelia momentarily believed she had just stepped onto Mount Olympus with the great gods and goddesses. Everyone, that is, except Harry. It was clear that he and Parvati were not a very good match as they were dancing very awkwardly, hardly looking at each other at all and not talking.

"I feel bad for both of them." Neville said, "Too bad Harry was required to bring a date to this."

"He wanted to go with Cho Chang but she was already going with that bastard, Diggory." Ron said, "When she said no, he got desperate."

"I don't think Parvati is that bad." Amelia said quietly.

Ron shrugged, "She isn't. But she's not Harry's type."

The other couples in the room began to join the champions in their dance. Amelia was afraid that she and Neville would only stand uncomfortably on the sidelines with Ron but then Neville turned her and smiled.

"Are you ready?"

Amelia felt a weight lift off her shoulders and she smiled sweetly back at him. "I am."

"I hope you two have fun." Ron said as he watched Neville escort Amelia onto the dance floor.

He carefully placed his hand on her waist and took her hand. Amelia was suddenly very aware of how calloused his hands were from years of working in the greenhouses alongside her. She also noticed the warmth that spread through her as he touched her. She looked up at him bashfully and he did the same.

"I don't think I've danced since my wand ceremony." Amelia said quietly.

"Wand ceremony?" Neville asked.

She bit the inside of her cheeks, "For generations, the Malfoys have held balls for when a witch or wizard in the family has started school and gets their wand. They bring the most popular wand maker at the time to do the wand selection right there in front of everybody."

"I can't imagine you liked that very much." Neville mused.

Amelia smirked, "No, not at all. And my mother and father knew that but they did it anyway. 'Tradition must be upheld, Amelia. Otherwise it dies.' That's what my father said when I told him I didn't want to. Draco was the only one who cared that it bothered me. He knew I didn't want to talk to anyone so he danced with me that whole night."

Neville was quiet. Amelia knew that he and her brother did not have an amiable relationship. Draco bullied him, treated him like dirt. Neville feared him. But in that moment, she saw a glimmer of respect come from her dear friend.

"For not having danced in two years, you're pretty good." Neville finally commented, changing the subject. "It took me forever to learn to do this dance well."

"I can tell you've been practicing, though. You're brilliant." At this, Amelia felt her cheeks grow red.

Suddenly, the music changed from the orchestral melody to a rock song from a popular wizard band. After glancing at each other momentarily, Neville and Amelia began to jump up and down alongside their peers. Amelia was completely aware of how ridiculous she probably looked but she really didn't care.

Time passed differently during the ball. She felt as though only minutes had passed when it had really been an hour. This happened once, then twice. Then her head began pounding and her throat was dry from laughter, screaming. She felt hot and sticky.

Amelia felt woozy suddenly, like she was going to throw up at any minute. But then Neville touched her elbow and smiled.

"Do you want to get out of here? It's getting kind of crowded here, no?"

Amelia smiled at him gratefully, "Please."

He took her hand, Amelia had lost count of how many times he had done this, and pulled her away from the dancing students. They walked out of the Great Hall and wandered around for a quiet, cool spot until they reached the courtyard.

It seemed like Neville was searching for something to say, something to address the heaviness between them.

Eventually, he took in a deep breath and said, "Do you miss your family?"

She felt her mouth go dry and rubbed her arm, "Sometimes. Other times not so much. Don't get me wrong I'm glad I'm not being beaten anymore. But they were my family for a long time and…Father wasn't always like that."

He took her hand and held it gently, "What did he used to be like?"

She smiled at the memory. "He was very protective of Draco and I as children. Wouldn't let us near anything harmful. Mum would sometimes tease him for being a mother bear."

"So what changed?"

"I suppose he really changed when Draco went off to school. Here was his pride and joy, the heir to the Malfoy fortune going off to be educated so that he could be entrusted with our affairs. In the years leading up, he had been cultivating Draco to be just like him. And it wasn't until I finally came to school that I realized how similar they really are." Amelia's voice had grown quiet. "It wasn't until I saw what true kindness was that I understood that my father wasn't actually everything he seemed to be."

Neville sighed, "I'm afraid I've killed the mood quite a bit."

"Don't worry. It feels good to talk about." Amelia assured him, shivering slightly.

The moonlight in the courtyard made the snow outside glow with an eerie and beautiful light. It all seemed so peaceful and still to Amelia.

"Look at that." Neville mused. "It's snowing."

Amelia looked up and sure enough, the dark clouds that had been gathering overhead all day, had finally burst. Thick, fat snowflakes were falling slowly at first, then rapidly.

"Gorgeous." She said.

"Yeah." Neville replied.

She looked over at him, staring at the night sky and was filled with admiration. No, not admiration. Because admiration was not even close to describing the feeling that was consuming her entirely. Definitely not admiration.

Amelia was completely lost in her thoughts, thoughts that tickled her mind and played into her wildest dreams, when she was hit in the face with a handful of snow.

She was stunned. As it fell from her cheek, hitting her dress, and tumbling to the ground below, she looked at Neville, who was grinning mischievously at her.

"Sorry. It slipped."

"A bloody snowball slipped out of your hand and hit my face?"

"It was an accident!"

Amelia bent down and scooped up some snow. "An accident!"

"Yes, an accident! You can't ruin these robes, Gran just bought them."

She chuckled, "Well you should have thought of that before you decided to throw that at me, shouldn't you?"

Her throw was a valiant effort but it soared right past Neville's shoulder. She angrily hurried down to pick up more snow.

"Ha!" Neville cried as he hid behind a bush. "Nice try."

"Shut _up_!" Amelia said, hurling another snowball in his direction. This time, it smacked him right in the chest. She giggled and ran away, knowing full well that Neville wouldn't stand for this.

And she was right. She heard him roar behind her and shovel snow into his hands, chasing after her. Unfortunately for her, it was difficult to run in a dress and heels. Neville caught up to her easily, wrapped arms around her, and smashed the pile of snow into her stomach.

Amelia was laughing giddily as Neville threw her to the ground playfully. She landed in the snow out of breath and completely in love. He threw himself down beside her, lying all the way back to make a sloppy snow angel.

"I'm going to be soaked through." She said, a permanent smile on her lips. "Not to mention that we're actually sitting in snow."

"We'll find some way of warming up." Neville sighed, looking up at the sky again.

Amelia knew he hadn't mean that to sound suggestive at all but she blushed anyway. In response, she placed some more snow on his chest.

"Maybe I will. But I think I'll lock you in the castle so you'll have to stay out here."

He glared at her, "That's just mean spirited. Here we were, having a nice time, and you had to go do that." As she laughed at him, he stood and offered his hand to her. She accepted it and when she had risen, she realized how close they were. Despite the cold, she could feel his warm breath on her skin. Goosebumps flooded through her.

"Would you like to go back in? I'm sure we'd welcome the heat."

Amelia looked down at herself, "What? Like this? We're messes. People are going to think we're crazy."

"Let them think what they will." Neville shrugged, taking her hand again, leading her inside. When they entered the Great Hall again, several people turned to look at them but most of them were too busy enjoying their dance.

The pair walked side by side together, trying to ignore the fact that they were dripping. The music had slowed down a bit so Neville held out his hand proudly and Amelia at arm's length as they danced. He seemed somewhat nervous to hold her as close as the other couples did, but Amelia ached for it. So she decided to strap on some of the bravery that Neville had taught her and did it herself.

They were nose to nose, she smiled at him, he smiled back. And even though she was dripping wet and had been sitting in the snow not ten minutes before, Amelia had never felt warmer.


	30. Chapter Thirty: Truth

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Thirty: Truth**

Amelia's heart was light as she and Neville walked to Hogsmeade. Over the past few days, she had been much happier and altogether more joyful than she had in a very long time. And Neville noticed. When he'd asked her about it the other day, she merely shrugged, not quite knowing the answer herself. Then again, she could pinpoint the start of her optimistic mood to the Yule Ball.

They packed into the Three Broomsticks with nearly every other students from Hogwarts, trying to escape the terrible chill from outside. They managed to squeeze into a booth with Dean and Seamus and order themselves drinks without too much of a struggle.

Amelia had been dared by Seamus to drink butterbeer for the first time, which she was nervous about. Even when her parents had allowed her to drink wine at any of their balls, she had opted for pumpkin juice instead. She didn't like the idea of not being able to control her actions and thoughts.

When the waitress set the drinks on their table, everyone eyed Amelia. They were all annoyingly smirking at her, as if she was the sole source of their entertainment. She glared menacingly at them which only made them laugh.

"Just do it." Dean said, "It's barely got any alcohol in it anyway."

Seamus nodded, "Yeah you have to drink a lot of it to get drunk."

"Besides, we don't want you to get drunk, we only want you to try it. It's really good." Neville explained, "I know you'd like it."

She gave him an uncertain look but exhaled deeply and took a sip of the foamy beverage. Instantly, buttery warmth spread through her. She felt it drip from her lips to her fingers to the tips of her toes.

"Wow." She said, noticing the knowing looks the boys were exchanging.

"I told you." Seamus sang, leaning back in the booth.

A sense of peace settled over the table when as the friends talked freely and discussed things from the tournament, classes, and in Seamus' words "birds they had their eyes on".

"It's not that there aren't any girls around." Dean said, "There are plenty that are attractive and have a great personality. I just have no bloody idea how to talk to them."

Seamus nodded, "Exactly. You have no idea how hard it was for me to ask Lavender to the ball. The only reason I did was because she was already dropping hints about it."

"Why can't you just talk to them?" Amelia asked, "We're people too. Don't you think we get anxious thinking about talking to boys?"

"The only problem with your theory, Amelia darling," Seamus said, "is that you don't talk to any boys besides Neville."

Amelia flushed and glared at him, "That's not true."

"Oh yeah?" Dean smirked, "Do it now."

"No!" She cried, "I've already done one of your stupid dares."

"Stupid?" Seamus said, "I take offense at that. I see no reason why you can't just flirt a little with the fellas in this pub."

Neville took a huge gulp of butterbeer; he still hadn't said anything.

"Come on, Amelia." The happy Irish boy continued, "Let me pick a swell guy for you to talk to, someone I know will go easy on you and maybe even take you out." He winked at Dean and Neville.

Amelia felt her face grow even redder, "I'm not doing this." She looked to Neville, "This is ridiculous."

He shrugged, "Maybe you should do it. Merlin knows he won't leave you alone until you do."

Unfortunately this was true. In the short time she'd known Seamus, Amelia knew he was stubborn and bloody determined about everything. He was the type who wouldn't rest until he got his way.

Amelia did not have that kind of patience.

"Fine."

"Excellent!" Seamus cried, standing on the seat, looking for the perfect target. It took him a worriedly short amount of time to pick someone out. "Ah, got him. See that sleazy looking bloke over in the corner booth across the room? He's got a really annoying air about him."

The whole table turned simultaneously to see just who Seamus was talking about. And as soon as Amelia saw him, she wished she hadn't. Her stomach dropped to the balls of her feet and her palms went sweaty.

"Anyone but him." She said with finality.

Neville started laughing, "Good choice, Seamus. You managed to pick the one person in the whole school that Amelia doesn't like."

"No way." Amelia said again, "I'm not doing it."

Seamus clicked his tongue, "Now, now, Amelia. If we always didn't do things we don't like, we wouldn't get anywhere, would we?"

"I don't think that applies to this situation."

He rolled his eyes, "Just do it. Do you want to be perceived as a coward for the rest of your life?"

This made Amelia feel hot with anger. She stormed away from the booth and started towards Marius Chancy, the boy it would be damn near impossible to flirt with.

Behind her, she could hear the boys start up a heated conversation. When she glanced back, Amelia saw Neville angrily whispering something to his two friends. What had happened in the few seconds she'd been gone, she did not know.

As she neared Marius, she knew that he saw her. She could feel his steel-blue eyes stab into her head as she tried her best to avoid eye contact. This would prove harder to do when she actually had to talk to him.

"Amelia Malfoy. What brings you to my table today? Here to grovel? Apologize?"

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from lashing out. "N-not exactly." She suddenly became very aware of Marius' friends watching her. How was she supposed to do this without making herself look like a fool?

"Okay..." Marius said, encouraging her to continue.

"I was just wondering," she paused here to think of something to say, "what you've been up to."

Marius glanced at his friends and then at her before answering. "Um, what?"

"You know, what do you do when you're not in class?"

"You actually want to know? Why?"

She sucked in her cheeks and bounced on her toes a little bit, "Am I not allowed to talk to one of my classmates? I'm curious, that's all."

Marius' friends started nudging each other and snickering, which made Amelia's and Marius' cheeks go scarlet. When Marius managed to calm them, he turned back to Amelia and said, "I don't do much besides study really. Not a fan of Quidditch, I suppose I like caring for the magical creatures Hagrid has."

Amelia had to admit that her opinion of Marius rose slightly when he said this. There was something charming about the idea of him being gentle and caring for the sweet things from the forest.

"Oh, that's nice."

Marius blinked in surprise, "What about you?"

"I spend a lot of time in the greenhouses. And writing." She was starting to regret this very much.

He looked up at her and said somewhat breathlessly, "You write? Anything good?"

"Probably not." She said, laughing slightly and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "But maybe you could be the judge of that."

Marius got slightly redder than he had been, "You'd let me read your work?"

"Sure." Amelia said quietly. She glanced behind her quickly and then said, "Well I must be going now. See you in class, Chancy."

"Of course, Malfoy."

She was ashamed at the small smile that graced her lips as she walked back to the booth. By now, Neville had stopped yelling at the others and all three of them were watching her curiously.

"I don't get it." Dean said, "I thought you said you didn't like him."

Seamus grinned, "That was very nice, Miss Amelia. Not too shabby at all. I think you may get him to fancy you if you keep talking to him like that."

Neville jumped up from his seat and threw on his coat. "It's getting warm in here, isn't it? Shall we go, Amelia?"

Somewhat startled, Amelia nodded and followed Neville out of the pub. Before she left, however, she looked back at Marius and found that he was still watching her.

"What are we up to now?" She asked Neville once they'd stepped out into the snow.

He shrugged, "Don't know. I just wanted to get out because they were annoying me. Forcing you to do that, it's cruel."

"I didn't mind." She said, "Besides, if I hadn't they wouldn't have shut up."

Neville glanced at her and frowned, "You didn't mind doing that? Flirting? It doesn't seem like something you'd usually do."

Before she could answer, the Golden Trio walked by, whispering between themselves suspiciously. Amelia caught the words "nightmares" and "Dark Mark", which was enough to send shivers down her spine.

"Harry! Ron! Hermione!" Neville cried, smiling at them, "What are you guys doing today?"

Hermione anwsered for the three of them, "Nothing really, Neville. Just talking."

"About what?" He noticed the pained look on Harry's face. "Is everything alright?"

They exchanged uncertain looks before Harry replied, "Everything's fine."

"Are you sure? Maybe Amelia and I can help."

"It's really fine." Harry said a bit more firmly. "Sorry, but we've got to run."

Neville and Amelia watched as they hurried away from them. Amelia wasn't completely surprised. She knew that they were a particularly exclusive and secretive group. But to be so blunt about it hurt a bit.

She watched Neville carefully. He still hadn't said anything but his jaw was clenched tightly. Amelia thought that maybe he was going to burst until he started moving towards the castle swiftly.

"Neville, wait!" She called, speeding after him.

She followed him all the way until they were in the greenhouses. She watched him as he paced back and forth, breathing heavily. She was scared of what he was going to do.

"Neville..." She said gently, "is everything alright?"

He stopped pacing, picked up a Herbology book, and threw it across the room.

"I wish they would just trust me!" He cried, "They think I'm some type of quivering idiot who's too dumb to understand anything."

Amelia wanted to tell him that he was none of these things, that to her, he was everything she wanted to be. But she refrained from divulging her true point of view on the situation and simply said, "You're not."

He sighed and covered his head with his hands as he sat down heavily, "It's a nice thought, Amelia. But if you're called something long enough, that's what you become. Maybe they're right. There's no reason they need to trust me with their secrets. I wouldn't be helpful anyway."

"Don't do this to yourself, Nev. None of that's true and you know it. I wish you wouldn't beat yourself up about this."

Neville laughed humorlessly, "I don't think you're allowed to say that to me."

Amelia's heart froze, "What does that mean?"

"It means you do the same thing, Amelia. You think you're worthless and some kind of disease. Don't act like you don't because I know you still do. I've tried telling you otherwise but you just won't believe me." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration as she stared at him. "You...you are kind. And loyal. And...beautiful. Why can't you understand that- that you mean more to me than anything else?"

She sure what to do with herself. She wasn't ready to address these things and yet she was just _so tired_ of the internal battle, of fighting so hard for so long to seem worthy of Neville and his bravery. She stood, terrified.

"Amelia, I-" Neville moved to stop her but she flinched, as if even the thought of him touching her burned. Amelia began running, away from her problems, away from him, the only person who she knew could save her from herself.

Eventually, she lost sight of her path and crumbled, forgetting where she had been running to in the first place. She thought that maybe she was going to stay on the cold corridor floor forever and she was perfectly okay with that.


	31. Chapter Thirty-One: Gone

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Thirty-One: Gone**

There was very little discussed between Neville and Amelia the evening before the Second Task as they sat in the library. Ever since the Hogsmeade day, things had been rather tense. Things had hardly ever been tense with Neville. Things with him were supposed to be easy. Amelia hated this change with every fiber of her being.

When she would usually ask for advice or comment on something she had noticed, she was now forced to keep it to herself.

Of course, they weren't exactly fighting. No, they would still talk to each other. But it wasn't the same. The topic was merely limited to homework and Herbology. It was an awful twist of fate and it was now Amelia's horrible reality.

Amelia was only just getting used to the deafening silence between her and Nev when it was, thankfully, interrupted by a gruff voice.

"Longbottom! Malfoy! Get your sorry arses over here!"

The friends exchanged perplexed looks before chasing after the source. Eventually, they found Harry and Professor Moody tucked behind the section on aquatic plants several shelves over. Amelia recalled Neville spending the whole of last year reading through them all.

"Help Potter put away his books and then get to bed. We've all got a busy day tomorrow, don't we?"

"Yes, sir." Amelia and Neville said together. They watched as Moody limped away from them, muttering something to himself in a gravelly tone.

Amelia glanced at the books Harry had been browsing through and spoke. "What is it you were looking for, Harry?"

He glanced at her, probably debating whether he could trust her enough to tell her. His decision arrived faster than she thought it would and he said, "I can't think of anything to help me with this damn task tomorrow."

"What's the task?" Neville asked him.

"I'm supposed to hold my breath for an hour to search for something. I have no idea how I'm going to do it." Harry said in exasperation, throwing up his hands. Amelia thought it was somewhat amusing. Harry looked like a mad scientist with bags under his eyes and hair that looked like it had been electrocuted.

Still, she felt bad for his desperation. Neville and Amelia racked their brains, trying to recall if they had learned anything over their years at Hogwarts that could help Harry in any way. Amelia had nothing.

Suddenly, Neville gasped. His eyes flew open wide. "You could use Gillyweed! It's a foreign plant I read about last year. From what I can remember, it gives the eater gills and fins of a fish. There is some debate, though, about the effects of freshwater versus saltwater."

"Brilliant!" Harry said, standing quickly, "Only problem is, I don't know where I'm supposed to get Gillyweed at this time of night. Surely the greenhouses are closed."

Amelia knew for a fact that Professor Sprout had no Gillyweed in the greenhouses, if she had, she would have known about it before now. She looked to Neville who had a bashful look on his face.

"That's the problem. The last time I saw Gillyweed was first year when we used it to make the sleeping draught."

The memory dawned on Harry. He pursed his lips, "So it's going to be in Snape's storeroom, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately."

Amelia realized the gravity of what they were supposed to do to help Harry a second later. "We're not going to break in are we?"

"Do we have any other choice?" Harry asked, "But I'd like to not get detention or thrown out of school if that's possible." The three of them considered this for a moment before Amelia remembered a particularly crafty house elf that may be able to help them.

"Dobby."

"Dobby?" Harry asked. "The house elf?"

"Who else? He's working in the kitchens now. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to help you out. It would be easy for him to get the Gillyweed since he's not bound by the Apparation laws of the school. Plus, I know how to get into the kitchens to ask him."

Both Neville and Harry looked impressed. They agreed to Amelia's clever plan and started towards the kitchen which was conveniently located across from the entrance to the Huffleouff common room.

"I didn't even know this was here." Harry admitted. "I don't think I've even been to this part of the castle."

"Not many people know we have a kitchen. A lot of them think the food just magically appears from mid air. It comes from here after the house elves make it. Sometimes," she giggled, "we sneak out in the middle of the night to get a snack. There's something about illicit food that's so much better than what they serve us in the Great Hall."

She heard Neville laugh behind her which warmed her heart. It made her hopeful that maybe things weren't as bad as she thought they were. When they reached the portrait of fruit, Amelia knocked twice on the pear. Almost immediately, the door opened a crack and a small voice emerged.

"Can I help you, miss?" A girl house elf trembled as she spoke.

Amelia smiled down at her, "Do you mind if we come in and speak with Dobby for a moment? It's important."

"Of course, miss. Please come in."

Amelia, Neville, and Harry entered the kitchen and were immediately greeted with the sweet smells of pies baking. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, remembering not her own home but rather, the one she had found in Brighton. During her first few days there, Gran displayed her excellent baking skills by serving them pie after pie in an attempt to brighten Amelia's somber mood.

"I heard you wanted to see me, Miss Malfoy." A familiar sweet voice said. "Mr. Potter!"

Amelia looked down and saw the scrappy elf that had once served in her kitchens at Malfoy Manor. "Dobby. It's nice to see you again."

"Hello, Dobby." Harry said, smiling.

Dobby seemed to be overjoyed at being addressed by Harry. He stood there, his eyes widened momentarily. "How can I be of service to you, sirs and madame?"

Harry took over from here. "We need you to steal something for us."

Dobby got a mischievous look on his face, "What am I stealing?"

"There's some Gillyweed in Professor Snape's storeroom that I need for the task tomorrow. It should help me breathe under water."

"So you'd like me to get it for you?" Dobby asked, "I am more than willing to serve you, Harry Potter. It is the least I can do."

"Thank you, Dobby-" Harry began but was cut off by Dobby Apparating out of the kitchen. It seemed as though he was only gone for a minute or two when he returned with a loud crack and something slimy in his tiny hands.

"For you, Harry Potter. The finest Gillyweed I could find."

Neville inspected it shortly before nodding his approval, "He's right. That's a nice batch he's got."

"Excellent." Harry said, smiling. "Thank you, Dobby. You have no idea how grateful I am."

Dobby bashfully looked at his feet and replied, "No problem, sir. It is my pleasure to serve you, Harry Potter."

Amelia thought this was incredibly sweet and was glad that Dobby found someone who didn't abuse his servitude. Anyone that wasn't her father probably was a step up anyway.

"I should probably get going. Tomorrow's kind of important." Harry teased, smirking. Neville and Amelia waved him off as he backed out of the kitchen clumsily. This was then followed by several beats of uncomfortable silence.

Neville kicked at something on the floor of the kitchen and Amelia glanced at the roaring fireplace.

"Harry's right. We should get some rest." Neville finally said, "I'll...see you tomorrow, Mel."

As he walked away from her, Amelia wanted to call out to him. She wanted to hold him close and apologize for whatever it was that she had done wrong. She wanted to apologize for whatever it was that made him not want to be her friend anymore. But she didn't do any of those things. She let him disappear into the darkness with the answers to so many of her questions.

"Goodnight, Dobby." She said, sadly. "I'll come visit again soon."

"That would be lovely, Miss Amelia. When you do, I'll be sure to make you a fresh pumpkin pastie just for you."

Amelia grinned at him, "Thank you. I'll see you soon."

It wasn't until she was tucked away in her bed that she realized how ruined she would actually be if Neville and her were no longer friends. Where would she live? Who would she talk to about plants? Who would fill the aching place in her heart?

The next morning, Amelia wasn't in the mood to deal with the tension with Neville. So instead of watching it with him, she watched it with her overly-curious roommates. And, instead of telling him this, she ignored him.

The other girls certainly noticed Neville's absence but decided not to say anything. All of them knew Amelia enough by now to understand that was a bad move. That didn't mean they weren't worried. Of course they were! Amelia had never not talked to Neville. What made matters worse was that she could see him. And she knew he could see her. And instead of acting rationally, she grit her teeth and continued to pretend that she hadn't seen him.

"Attention!" Professor Dumbledore called with the help of the Sonorous Charm. "All of our champions had something stolen from them last night. They must retrieve this within the hour or else they're disqualified from this task. The best of luck to all of you. Now at the sound of the cannon-"

He was interrupted by the sound of a cannon. Immediately, all the champions leaped into the water bravely. Amelia shivered. There was no way she could survive if she was a champion.

This task was significantly less eventful than the last. The Black Lake fit the name in the sense that the water was too dark to see much of anything below the surface of the water. In fact, the only sign of life was the occasional bubble.

Things really picked up when the Fleur Delacour shot up from the water, nearly unconscious. People swarmed around her, wrapping her in blankets and towels, trying to revive her to find out what had gone wrong. Amelia was far enough away that she couldn't hear anything but from the terrified look on Fleur's face, it hadn't been good.

It wasn't until the clock struck, signaling the end of the hour, that Cedric appeared with Cho Chang, a pretty Ravenclaw girl he had taken to the Yule Ball. They were both gasping for air and looked chilled to the bone, but neither could help the small smile that grace both of their lips.

"Are they dating?" Amelia heard Joyce ask behind her.

Carmen immediately answered, "I didn't think so. But they might be now. How romantic!"

People were quite touched at the thought of these two together. Amelia even found herself believing that Cedric, the heroic boy that he was, deserved someone as sweet as Cho.

A few mere seconds later, Viktor Krum burst from the sloshing waves with Hermione Granger in his grasp. There were a few scattered gasps and many whispers as to why on earth Hermione was so important to the Bulgarian but they were soon hushed by the activity that was happening below.

It wasn't that they could see anything, that hadn't changed, but the water was sporadically rippling with bubbles and the waves were crashing mightily into each other. They could even see lights flashing under the water.

"What the bloody hell?" Daniella whispered.

Finally, two heads emerged. One red, the other blonde. Amelia began searching the water frantically for Harry. Had the Gillyweed not actually worked?

Ron Weasley and a small little girl were brought up onto the champion platform. Fleur cried out and wrapped her arms around the girl. That must have been who she was intended to save. People had noticed now that Harry still hadn't come up but everyone else had. Something heavy sat in their hearts.

And then in a huge explosion of lake water, Harry rocketed out, landing right on the platform. He was pretty out of it and Dumbledore had to yell at the students around him to stop crowding him several times before he woke up.

Amelia's entire body exhaled.

There were no parties that night. Either everyone was trying to recover from the bitter cold of the lake, or they were in the hospital wing with the champions, all of whom had gotten a bit of hypothermia.

Amelia was doing neither. Instead, she was hiding away in the upper attic of the Hufflepuff common room. Rickard was nibbling at a dead bug that he'd found. She was leaning against the cool, round window looking out over the castle grounds. It was peaceful and yet, her mind raged.

Just when she thought that maybe she was going to fall asleep and forget the stresses that had been following her around, she heard a tap at the window. When she looked up, she recognized the owl to be Draco's huge eagle owl, Caesar. She had never been a fan of Caesar's hugeness and his tendency to dominate everything in the room. He had always been too abrasive for her, which is why he was so perfect for her father and Draco.

"What do you want?" She groaned, only opening the door wide enough to swipe the letter from his beak.

Then she wished she hadn't. See, she could recognize the elegant handwriting of her father anywhere. It was even more apparent when the envelope smelled of his burning cologne. Her eyes were already filling with tears as she opened the letter and began to read.

 _Dear Amelia,_

 _I have written to inform you of your status in the Malfoy family. You have been removed from both of our wills and are officially no longer recognized as our child. However, your mother has made a case for you to return to Malfoy Manor after this school term to retrieve the rest of your possessions. I have agreed to this under the condition that after you have finished, you have no contact with any member of the Malfoy family and later do not allege any claim to the Malfoy inheritance. I ask that you reply to this letter with a statement that you plan on removing your belongings._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lucius Malfoy_

She didn't cry loudly at first. It came out as a choke, almost like a hiccup. She covered her mouth, somewhat surprised at how this letter had made her feel. She hadn't seen or heard from her father in months but his grip on her was still so steely tight that just from this letter, she seized up.

Amelia held the letter tightly in her fists as she sobbed. She was curled over herself, feeling incredibly nauseous. Her head pounded and she burned with everything inside her was numb and painful all at the same time.

She didn't feel herself collapse but she knew she did. And she didn't hear the cries and stampede of footsteps on the stairs as people ran up to see what had happened but she knew they did. And she couldn't sense herself being picked up and carried to the Hospital Wing but she knew she was. Everything was a blur and everything was standing so still.

The only words she heard as she drifted into unconsciousness were: "Someone find Neville." And then she was gone.


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two: Reunion

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Thirty-Two: Reunion**

The first thing that Amelia became aware of was the heaviness of her eyelids. Then, slowly, she began to sense the dryness of her throat and how cracked her poor lips were. When she finally had the strength to open her eyes, she was blinded by the bursting light coming through the windows beside where she was lying. She groaned loudly and immediately a calloused hand clasped around hers.

"Go get Madame Pomfrey. Tell her she's waking up." The voice ordered. Then, after some footsteps had receded away from her, "Amelia?" That voice. That sweet, gentle voice. This was a voice she would never forget. She wanted to fight the overwhelming urge to go back to sleep. She wanted to see him. Neville.

"Amelia? Can you hear me?"

"Neville." She moaned, but it was incoherent. She tried again, "Neville."

She felt more people gathering around her. Voices started to whisper, begging her to open her eyes again. But only one of these voices that was of any importance at all to her was Neville's.

"Everyone back up, now." She heard Madame Pomfrey scold, "Let me see the poor girl." Neville's hand remained tight around hers. "She's dehydrated. Let's get some water into her, Mr. Longbottom."

Suddenly, a glass was placed to Amelia's chapped lips and a cool, fresh liquid was poured down her throat. It instantly revived her, spreading life all throughout her veins. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Amelia!" She was surprised to see Daniella, Joyce, Carmen, and Violet all gathered around her hospital bed with Neville, who looked like he hadn't slept in several days. They all smiled broadly at her but Neville's seemed to hold something more, something she couldn't quite understand, especially after just becoming conscious.

Daniella pushed herself forward and wrapped her strong arms around Amelia. "We've been worried sick, Amelia. When we found you in that attic, all cut up and unconscious-"

"Cut up?"

"You hit your head on one of the boxes. Had a real nasty gash on your forehead. Bleeding really bad. Anyway, everyone was afraid you were dead until Madame Pomfrey here set them straight."

"Honestly, you children are too dramatic when it comes to physical injury." The nurse scoffed, scuttling away after she had finished examining the wound on Amelia's forehead. It was stinging slightly from the medication she had placed on the gauze but Amelia assumed that meant it was working.

Daniella continued, "Jude, our seventh year prefect, was smart enough to remember Neville here and thought he should know."

"Bloody right," Neville muttered beside her, "I'm only her best friend."

"Neville's been here for two days." Carmen said, winking.

Amelia blinked, "I've been out for two days?"

"Like Daniella said," Violet added, "you took a really bad hit to the head. Madame Pomfrey thought you might have a concussion."

Amelia nodded vaguely, not really caring about anything Daniella was telling her. She needed to talk to Neville. About her feelings, about her father's letter, about everything that had kept them apart for the past few weeks. It had to end.

Daniella, the ever reliable friend she was, seemed to notice Amelia's anxiousness for some privacy with Neville because she then said, "Come on, ladies. Let's give Amelia some time to rest without us crowding her." The girls all seem to know what this actually meant, Joyce and Carmen seemed all too eager to get out of there. They said goodbye quickly and left without another word.

When they were gone, Neville looked down at her with his eyes full of so much. Amelia got lost in them for a second, thinking of how she was supposed to start this.

"Neville." She said finally, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry."

His hand and jaw tightened. He sat up straighter, "You have _nothing_ to be sorry for, Mel."

Hot, regretful tears came to her eyes, "Yes, I do. I've disappointed you. I'm supposed to be _more_ for you. But I'm just not confident enough."

Neville shook his head and closed his eyes, obviously frustrated with himself, "I shouldn't have said that stuff. It was idiotic. You don't have to be anything more than you are."

"No, you were right. I depend on you too much. I've never thought about how things affect you or what you think of yourself. I'm selfish and cowardly. I don't deserve to be your friend."

"That's not true!" Neville said firmly, "You and me together...as friends...that's the way things are supposed to be. You have no idea where I would be now without you. I'd be so much worse off. I don't think you realize the effect you have on me."

Amelia wished this meant what she wanted it to. Because now, as she stared into the beautiful eyes of her best friend, she realized that above all other things, she loved him. And this love was not platonic or friendly. No, this was passionate, full, and powerful love that came directly from the center of her heart.

"Neville." She said again, quieter this time.

Before she could say anything else, or rather, before she could make a complete fool of herself, Madame Pomfrey approached again.

"Now that those gabbing girls are out of the way I can properly talk to you." She smiled down at her kindly. Then she glanced at Neville, "Perhaps we should have a conversation about your condition in private."

Amelia reflexively panicked. "No. I don't care if Neville hears what you have to say. I'll probably end up telling him anyway."

Madame Pomfrey seemed hesitant but eventually pulled a chair up so she could sit on Amelia's other side. She clasped her hands and took a few beats to compose her thoughts. "Miss Malfoy. After speaking with Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Sprout, we have all come to the conclusion that you have some form of anxiety. It's clear that this has become a large enough problem that you've now hurt yourself. The headmaster has requested that you go to his office several times a week to discuss things but I believe that an outside, even non-magical listener would be better."

"What does that mean?" Amelia said, her heart feeling heavy.

"I'm writing to your current guardian, Ms. Augusta Longbottom, to tell her that I think it's time for you to see a therapist." After noticing the startled look on Amelia face, she explained, "Many children have to see a therapist, Amelia. And believe it or not, it will help you."

Beside her, Neville started nodding, "I think she's right, Mel. As much as I've tried to help you, maybe you do need someone else to talk to."

Amelia wanted to fight this. She wanted to claim that there was no reason that she needed to see a therapist. But after everything, after all the hiding and lying, she knew that this was the end of it.

"Okay." She finally said, "I'll see a therapist. Now?"

Madame Pomfrey smiled again, "No. We'll have you wait until you get home, to Brighton."

"To Brighton." Amelia repeated. "Sounds good. Thank you, Madame Pomfrey. I-I appreciate it." And then she and Neville were alone again.

"That was really brave." He said gently.

At first, Amelia smiled. Then, she began to cry.

"This is so embarrassing."She said, trembling. "If my father knew this-"

"Hey," Neville said, placing his hands on her cheeks. "That man isn't your father. You don't have to worry about what he thinks anymore. And once we get all of your things out of that damn house, you can be free of them forever."

Amelia blushed, "You read the letter."

"I did. Jude showed it to me after he told me where you were. I'm sorry."

"I know you are." Then she realized, "Did everyone read it?"

He nodded sheepishly, "Most people did. Jude tried to stop them but by the time he got a hold of you, most of your house heard about it."

"And now the whole school is talking about it?"

"With the way gossip spreads around this castle? You can count on it."

She buried her head in her hands, "Oh Merlin, I'm not going to be able to show my face again."

"That's not true. If anything, it makes people feel bad for you. Maybe now, they'll talk to you and stop whispering about how they can't trust you because of your name."

Amelia looked up at him in shock, "They do that?"

Neville frowned, "I shouldn't have told you that. But yeah, they've been doing it since you came to Hogwarts. I've tried my best to stop them. And this letter of your dad's will surely convince them."

This, strangely, made Amelia feel much better. The idea of the school simultaneously deciding not to hate her for merely her name was something quite pleasing. Maybe she was looking forward to returning to her classes after all.

"Am I allowed to leave?" Amelia asked, looking around for Madame Pomfrey.

"Yep. Madame Pomfrey said as soon as you woke up you'd be free to go."

Amelia exhaled, "Brilliant. Now. I need my clothes."

"Right." Neville blushed and frantically searched the room for something. Finally, he lifted up a bag. "Daniella brought these down for when you were discharged. Figured you wouldn't want to leave in a hospital gown."

"Can always count on her." Amelia commented, rifling through and finding, thankfully, one of her favorite outfits. Then she looked up at Neville, who was still standing there. She stared at him.

When he realized that she couldn't exactly change right in front of him, he blushed harder. "Oh, right. Sorry." He disappeared behind the curtain surrounding her bed.

Amelia giggled at her bumbling friend and proceeded to quickly change into her everyday clothing. It felt nice to slip into something familiar, especially after everything that had changed recently: the good and the bad.

The days that followed were strange for Amelia. She noticed an increase in people who smiled at her or greeted her as they passed by. Usually, these people ignored her completely. And while she was happy for the change in attitude toward her, she wasn't keen on the increase of attention. It was actually starting to get on her nerves a bit. Amelia complained to Neville about this as they walked to the overgrown Quidditch pitch for the Third, and final, Task.

"It's like they suddenly think I'm their best friend or something. I feel like I'm never alone. I almost wish they would go back to hating me so I could get some peace and quiet for a change."

Neville chuckled, "You're just not used to it, that's all. Besides, no one hated you before. They just didn't know about your existence really. This whole fainting after being disowned thing really caught their attention."

Amelia rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean." She glowered as a group of Ravenclaws in her year waved at her. "Can we skip this? It's not going to be very exciting, is it?"

"Come on, Mel. You've got to have school spirit." Neville teased, "What if Harry or Cedric lost because we weren't there! I'm sure you'd feel awful."

"What would my presence have to do with their winning?" She shot back, "You know I'd much rather be-"

"Reading, writing, working the greenhouses." He answered for her, "Yes, I know."

Amelia turned red, noticing Neville's crooked smile and golden eyes again. "But I suppose everyone needs to make sacrifices."

"How wise." Neville marveled, "Very impressive."

She shoved him into the seventh year walking beside them, who glared down at him menacingly. He stuttered out an apology as Amelia laughed. "I was almost beaten up just now, you know that? What would you have done then?"

"Then we would have an excuse to go back inside."

He pursed his lips and his eyebrows crinkled in fake anger. Amelia smiled, thinking this was very cute. She then took his hand and dragged him the rest of the way to the Quidditch pitch. Already, the stands were full of excited students. The blasting instruments and jubilant cheers filled the air with the possibility of hope and success. Even though she was incredibly cowardly, Amelia believed for a moment that even she could win the Tournament.

And then she remembered who she actually was.

The task began as the others had before. Professor Dumbledore explained the rules before being interrupted by an early cannon. Then, once the champions disappeared into the hedge, the student section cheered for a solid five minutes before realizing that they weren't actually going to see anything. They then resulted to idle chatter the for better part of an hour until-

A scream.

This sent chills down the backs of everyone watching. They all watched the entrance of the maze with baited breath as the Aurors ran in to follow the red sparks that had flown up.

"What do you suppose is happening?" Neville asked beside her.

"I have no idea." Amelia answered, but that wasn't completely true. She felt her stomach twisting and her heartbeat picking up the same way it had at the World Cup when the Death Eaters attacked.

The minutes ticked and finally the Aurors returned levitating what looked to be Fleur Delacour, unconscious. No, not totally unconscious. Her head was twitching back and forth and her eyes were open wide. She seemed to be muttering something.

"Merlin." She said, her breath shaky, "That's awful."

"I-I'm sure she'll be fine soon." Neville said, not sounding so certain, "There's no way they'd let her go insane or anything."

Amelia grabbed Neville's hand again and squeezed. She knew how sensitive he was to insanity. Surely he would be upset if someone lost their mind right in front of his eyes.

Then, only fifteen minutes later, another roar came from the maze. More red sparks. This time, Viktor Krum came stumbling out as if he was in a trance. And Amelia's heart tightened a little more. There was more of a bustle as people hurried to take care of him.

It was another hour before anything else happened. Fleur and Viktor were now wrapped in blankets, talking to their respective headmasters and families about the ordeal they had just experienced. Fleur was crying and rocking back in forth, nearing hysterics. Krum looked as though he had just woken up from a nap was still wasn't sure where he was.

Suddenly, there was a resounding crack through the pitch. People took one look at Cedric and Harry and began to cheer. Amelia exhaled and was about to start cheering along with them when Fleur Delacour began to scream. The music died down and people began to whisper as Harry Potter clung to Cedric and cried. Amelia inched closer along with everyone else, trying to get a glimpse at what was happening. But then Amos Diggory, Cedric's father, began to wail.

"My son!" He cried, "My boy!"

Amelia's lip trembled. Because now she understood. Because now she could see Cedric's stiff body, his eyes open, unseeing. Because now she knew Cedric Diggory was dead.

She stumbled back, straight into Neville, who caught her and held onto her tight. She looked up at him and saw the fear in his eyes, flashing violently. They stood there, frozen, as everything around them crumbled.

"Neville." Amelia said, breathing heavily. "Neville, I-"

"C-come on." He whispered in her ear, "Let's get out of here before something else happens."

When they reached the greenhouses, they were silent. What could they possibly say to make this situation any better? A peer, someone in Amelia's own house, had died. It wasn't as though Amelia hadn't seen death before. Certainly she had. But something about this, something about the idea of a harmless seventeen year old dying, made it much more personal.

"That really just happened, didn't it?" She said quietly. "Cedric is..."

"Yeah." Neville answered, not looking at her.

And then she began to cry. Cedric. Sweet, loyal, charming Cedric. He was gone, dead. He wouldn't be able to graduate or kiss Cho again. All of his miraculous potential had been snuffed out in a matter of seconds. Amelia wondered if when she died, she would be satisfied with what she had done during her life. It then dawned on her that, if she died right then, she wouldn't be very proud of herself. She was just about to leave the greenhouse, overwhelmed with her lacking self-confidence, when she was pulled into the arms of Neville.

There was something about this simple gesture that made Amelia feel much better. Whether it was the mere feeling of someone's arms around her or the idea that someone out there was going to do his best to protect her from whatever was coming or even the meaning behind the lengthy embrace between them, Amelia knew this was something real to hold on to.


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three: Patience

**_These characters belong to J.K. Rowling._**

 **Chapter Thirty-Three: Patience**

Amelia never thought she would be returning to her childhood home in Hertfordshire. And yet, as she was walking up the gravel path to the front door, it felt as though she had never left. The shrubs were cut in the same exact style, the enormous fountain was bubbling, the tall trees hid most of the sunlight. She was partially glad to be rid of this place. But she would miss some of the memories.

"This is it, huh?" Neville mused, looking around in awe. "I knew the Malfoys were wealthy but this...bloody hell."

"What your tongue, Neville." Gran scolded, "It's ungentlemanly."

"Yes, Gran." He said, blushing.

Augusta Longbottom had decided it would be safer for Amelia if she went along with her to finish packing up her belongings. Originally, Neville wasn't supposed to go but he had been invited in case Gran felt the need to punish the Malfoys for their years of neglect.

When they reached the front door, Amelia took the large, brass knocker in her hands and released it. It then occurred to her that she had never had to knock this door before. But then again, she had never been a guest at Malfoy Manor before.

"This is nerve wracking." She said, bouncing on her feet. "Maybe this was a mistake. We can still leave."

"You think you're getting away with that, Amelia? Think again." Gran said, "Not many people are offered the chance to face their fears on a silver platter. Better take advantage of this while you can."

The "while you can" part of her speech moved Amelia. Ever since what happened at the tournament, things at the Ministry had been difficult. Or at least, that's how Gran put it every evening she returned home from work. As hard as the job had become, Amelia and Neville knew better than to ask Gran any specifics about it.

"Get a job in the Ministry and you can find all that out for yourself, can't you?" She would always say when things got too confidential. "When it becomes life or death, then _maybe_ I'll tell you. _Maybe_."

This was enough to scare both of them away for a while before they started asking questions again. Well. Neville was asking questions. Amelia was merely a bystander who was only a little bit curious about the happenings and goings on at the Ministry. In her opinion, the less she knew, the better.

Behind the door, Amelia could hear the scuttling of tiny feet and a huge latch being undone. The door swung open widely and she was greeted by one of the house elves.

They gasped, "Miss Malfoy! Oh, how wonderful it is to see you!"

"Mumpy!" A savage voice cried, "Escort them inside and go back to kitchens where you belong you useless thing." And then he appeared.

Amelia wasn't sure what she'd been expecting when she saw her father again. A glimmer of regret? His skin paler than usual? Bags under his eyes from sleep deprivation? But none of these things were evident in her father's face. He stood tall and proud, his hair combed neatly behind him and pulled into a ponytail. His eyes glistened with intelligence and arrogance. He knew how terrified she was of him and he was going to use this to his advantage.

"Amelia. I see you brought your new...friends with you."

"Indeed she did, Lucius." Gran said stepping forward, "Don't think I was about to let her come on her own. Not with what you've done to her."

Lucius chuckled, "Oh, Augusta. You always get carried away and make assumptions. I have no plans on harming Amelia. Not when she is willingly removing filth from our abode. Why would I want to stop that?"

Amelia felt Neville stiffen beside her. Gran's face grew indignant. She lowered her face and started up the stairs, "I'll be quick."

"You better." Lucius called as Neville and Gran followed her.

Being in her bedroom again was strange. Her belongings remained untouched from the night she had been forcibly removed. Clothing was tossed onto the floor, the bed was unmade, books and parchment scattered, ripped.

"This is a bit bigger than your new bedroom." Neville said, examining the bookshelf. "I'm sorry we're not living up to these standards."

Amelia mumbled, "I'm actually quite glad your house isn't as extravagant as this. This manor has always been too much for me. Brighton is perfect."

"Where should we start?" Gran asked, rolling up her sleeves.

Amelia considered this, "I'll get the books if you want to pack up my clothes. Neville, do you mind gathering knick-knacks?"

They set to work at a comfortable pace, shoving things in Gran's enchanted bottomless bag. As one handful after another was thrown in, Amelia felt a little bit cleaner and lighter. The things that had been anchoring her to this place of torture were finally being released.

And then at last, the room was empty. It no longer looked like the room Amelia had grown up in. There was no evidence that anyone had lived there at all besides the faded etchings on the wall that marked her height over the years.

"I believe we're done here." Gran said, tying up the bag and throwing it over her shoulder. "I'll be waiting downstairs, Amelia, if you want to say goodbye."

As much as Amelia hated this place, as much as the people who lived here terrified her, she couldn't seem to find the strength to moved her feet. It was like they were glued to the floor, and no matter how hard she struggled, the bond only grew tighter.

Neville must have sensed this hesitation because he grabbed her hand and pulled lightly. And somehow this small tug was enough to topple her entirely. She followed Neville out of the room and down the stairs, past her father who was watching her eerily.

Then she saw her mother, who was holding the door open. She glanced at Lucius and once he had disappeared down the hallway, she whispered, "Don't lose hope, dear." Before Amelia could say anything to that, the door closed behind her.

"That was strange." She said. "My mother hasn't talked to me in months. What do you think she meant?"

"I have no idea." Neville shrugged. "Sounds like she knows something we don't. I wouldn't worry much about it, though. It's probably nothing."

Neville was right. Probably. There couldn't be anything of importance her mother had to say to her that she couldn't say months before when she was being abused.

Returning to Brighton was easily the most relieving thing Amelia had ever done. After getting off the bus at the bus stop and walking the five blocks, she finally saw the lovely cottage sitting on the edge of the beach.

"Home." She breathed, "Finally."

Amelia brushed her fingers on the petals of the roses growing outside, which felt soft under her touch. The garden gnomes running about seemed to recognize that their hosts had returned and were in full fledged anarchy.

"We're probably going to have to catch those tonight." Neville commented as he passed them, scowling.

"Don't be silly, Neville." Gran tutted, "We just got home. I'll have you do it tomorrow. Now, shall I make us some tea?"

After putting away their belongings, Neville and Amelia settled around the tea table with Gran. There was something peaceful about it, sipping tea and talking. It was so simply domestic, something that Amelia's family wouldn't have been caught dead doing together. Tea time in the Malfoy house was always a very private affair, one meant for personal reflection and instruction.

"So, Neville, dear." Gran began, "Are you nervous for you fifth year? It's the year of O.W.L.s after all."

Neville shrugged, "I don't know if I'm nervous. Scared more like. This is only the defining year that sets me on course for my career."

Amelia snickered, "I'm lucky I have a whole other year to figure that out."

"Yeah. Lucky you." Neville scoffed, "Meanwhile I have to worry about passing my required classes so I can take classes that are actually relevant to becoming a teacher. It's very stressful."

"As long as you don't worry too much, dear." Gran said, patting her grandson's hand. "Your father changed what he wanted to do after he left Hogwarts. In fact, so did your mother. It would actually be quite fitting."

Neville rolled his eyes, "Gran, I still want to teach. I know that for certain. But I'm just worried I won't get O's in the classes I need to get there."

"Oh please," Amelia said, "you're plenty smart enough to pass those classes. And I can help you if you need it."

Gran clicked her tongue, "You thought just because you were getting older things were going to get easier too? That's a foolish thought, boy. No, I'm afraid things are going to get much more complicated from here on. You're still pubescent, hormones are raging, girls are going to be getting prettier, you'll be getting distracted in class, oh my troubles have only started."

"Thanks, Gran." Neville replied, blushing. He took a nervous sip of tea.

She then turned to Amelia. "And our lovely Amelia. You'll be turning lads away almost every day surely. I'd be surprised if you didn't end up married and pregnant by the time you're 20. Just like Alice."

"Gran!" Neville and Amelia cried together.

"What?!"

"Amelia is not a-"

"I'm not going to-"

"Listen, you're both being ridiculous, I'm only speculating of course. Who knows! You two may end up together and make everything much simpler."

They both colored profusely as she sauntered out of the room, laughing to herself. They sat together awkwardly for several minutes until Neville spoke.

"Care to take a walk on the beach? It's getting hot in here, isn't it?"

Amelia nodded happily, "Sounds nice."

The waves on the sea were large that evening. The way they crashed against the stone beach were intense, splashing them as they walked right on the shore. Amelia pulled her jacket tighter around her and walked beside Neville calmly, the wind whipping her hair around her face

"Okay." Neville said quickly, "Name one thing that you're afraid of."

"What?"

"Name one thing that you're afraid of." He repeated.

She sucked in her cheeks and thought, "Giants."

He looked at her knowingly, "I mean an actual fear."

"Well that _is_ an actual fear." Amelia pointed out, "But fine. I-I'm... most afraid of becoming what my father wanted me to be. This dark, sophisticated, calculating thing. Because being that, being anything but me is just terrifying to me."

"That's a pretty big improvement from your first year." He commented, "If I recall, you tried pretty hard to get yourself thrown into Slytherin instead."

She sighed, "Yes I have to admit I wanted different things back then. I would give anything to go back in time, take eleven year old me and tell her 'You're the biggest idiot I know'."

Neville laughed, "You weren't that bad."

"Well, what about you?"

"Me?"

"What are you most afraid of?" She asked, poking his chest playfully.

"Mine's a bit more complicated because it's stupid."

"Hey, I'm sure it's not stupid." She said, touching his arm momentarily.

He looked at her for a beat and then frowned, "I'm most afraid of not being powerful." When Amelia didn't say anything, mostly from confusion, he continued. "I mean, not being a wizard."

"But, Nev-"

"And before you say that I am a wizard, I know I am. It's just... for a long time, my family didn't think that I was going to show signs of magic. I was eight! And even when I did get to Hogwarts and I got my wand, I was behind. I didn't get the hang of things as fast as the others did. Gran and everyone else thought there was something wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you, Nev."

"Yeah," he smiled, "I didn't get that until you came to school and we decided to be friends. I figured if I was worth something as your friend, I was worth something."

She grinned at him, "That's sweet, Nev. You always know the best things to say, don't you?"

"Speaking of that." Neville said, kicking a rock across the beach, "I think that you should have been in Gryffindor." When she laughed he stopped her, "I'm serious. Lately you've been showing a lot of nerve and courage. It's amazing that you able to stand up for yourself enough to move out of that place, away from your family. I just really admire you for it. I wish I could be as brave as you sometimes."

This made Amelia want to cry. The entire time she'd known Neville, all she wanted to be was as brave as him. And now here he was, telling her that he looked up to her for her own bravery.

"You know better than that." Amelia said, her voice shaking, "I'm not as brave as you. You're more of a Gryffindor than I'll ever be. You were sorted in that house for Merlin's sake. Besides, I think Hufflepuff suits me quite well."

"I'm not saying you're not the perfect Hufflepuff, because you are. But I think it would be feasible for you to also be in Gryffindor." Neville replied.

"I think if I ended up in Gryffindor, I would have been disowned a lot sooner than I was."

Neville chuckled, "Probably. And who knows if we would still be friends."

"I'd like to think that we'd be friends no matter what. Even I was in Slytherin or you were a Squib. It's fate."

He looked at her with a strange look on his face. "Fate, huh?"

"Don't you believe in it?"

"Of course, it made me friends with you, right? Something that creates a miracle like that has to be real."

At that, Amelia wanted to kiss him right then and there. But since she was sure it wouldn't be reciprocated, she stopped herself. And then she regretted it.

"Neville! Amelia! There's something wrong with The Animal!"

Gran called Richard "The Animal" because she refused to acknowledge him as an actual household pet. She said animals that come from a different country shouldn't be brought to non native lands and kept domestically. And, of course, she didn't blame Amelia, she blamed that "damn man" who called himself her father for twelve years of her life.

Amelia immediately got worried and started back toward the house. Neville followed quickly after her, She came stumbling into the house, searching desperately for her beloved animal. She saw him lying on the floor at Gran's feet, eyes closed and writhing around stomach up.

She knelt beside him and rubbed her hand over his thick fur. "What's going on, Richie? You've got a sore tummy?"

"Why are you talking to him like he's a child?" Gran asked, "He's an animal."

"I know that but he's feeling poorly and he's my pet so I can talk to him as I please." She hadn't meant to snap at Gran but Richard's current state was stressing her out. "Can someone get him water?"

Neville rushed to the kitchen, filled up a bowl, and brought it back to her in a flash. Amelia slowly poured it into Richard's slightly open mouth. When he had finished it, she stroked his head, pushing back his ears lovingly.

"Let's get you to bed, shall we?" She said, picking him up and taking him up to her bedroom. She set him on her bed and curled around him, petting him endlessly and giving him a small kiss on his nose every so often to remind him that she was there.

Neville came into the bedroom a couple hours later with a soft knock on her door. "Is he any better?"

"I can't tell." She replied, sitting up and stretching. Richard had fallen asleep and was snoring peacefully on her pillow. "I don't know where this came from. He was fine earlier."

"We'll keep an eye on him. If he gets any worse we can take him to the pet wing in St. Mungo's. Surely they'll be able to find something wrong with him."

She nodded and licked her lips, "He'll get better. I believe that. We just need to wait." Patience was all she needed. And if Neville was telling the truth and she was the perfect Hufflepuff, then patience was not going to be a problem at all.


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four: Excursion

_**These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**_

 **Chapter Thirty-Four: Excursion**

Amelia had lived in Brighton long enough now to know that when it was raining, things were rather dull. She found she had no interest in reading her classics and Neville refused to give her access to his mother's extensive collection.

"They're gifts! I can't just give them to you willy-nilly!" He cried when she'd asked.

"But I'm _bored_ , Nev. Let's do something."

He sighed, "Can't we play chess?"

"We did that this morning during breakfast." Amelia pointed out.

"Exploding Snaps?"

She rolled her eyes, "Did that while we waited for Gran to leave for work."

"Okay. Quidditch?"

"Can you honestly imagine me on a broomstick, Nev? That's dangerous."

He snickered and shook his head, "Funnily enough, I can't imagine you ever playing Quidditch. You and I aren't very athletic are we?"

Amelia tried to picture her and Neville playing Quidditch and winced when she could only see her getting smashed to bits by the Bludger. No, she was decidedly not athletic.

"Isn't there anything else we can do?" She asked, poking at his foot with hers as they sat on the sofa together."Surely you can think of something new."

Neville wracked his mind for anything he and Amelia could do together. Something that would get them out of the damn house but wouldn't be romantic enough for either of them to maybe possibly consider as a date.

"What about London?" He said suddenly.

She perked up, "What about it?"

"Have you been?"

"Kings Cross and Diagon Alley and that's it. My mother thought the city was barbaric so we only went when we had to." Amelia explained, vaguely recalling a fight her parents had gotten into when her father had asked her mother if she would bring the children to the Ministry.

Neville's face brightened and he stood up abruptly, "Let's go to London for the day! We can take the train and make a day of it. I can show you all of my favorite places."

"But it's raining!" Amelia said, giggling.

He was practically dancing around the room now. "Even better! Not many people like London in the rain but personally, I think it's brilliant. Come on, we've got to get ready."

It was amusing to see him like this. It was very rare that Neville got excited enough to behave like a young puppy. Not that Amelia disliked it. His eyes were bright and his smile was broad and he never looked handsomer than when he was looking right at her with all of it.

"Alright. If that's your command." She teased, skipping away to her bedroom.

This room had become quite hers over the course of her stay. It had taken some time but the boxes filled with Alice and Frank Longbottom's belongings had been packed away in the attic somewhere. The dust had been cleared from shelves and curtains, which Amelia liked to keep open to let the sunlight in.

She quickly shoved on a raincoat and some boots, shoved her wand into her deep pockets, and toppled toward the front door where Neville was already waiting, Muggle money in hand.

"Ready?" He asked, somewhat breathless.

She smiled, "Always."

They set out for the train station which was only a few blocks away from the cottage. The walk, although it was in the rain, was nice and gave Amelia time to calm her raging mind. This was something people who were couples did together. Surely while they were in London, they would be mistaken as two young in love.

Once she had come to realization that she did in fact fancy Neville very much, Amelia couldn't stop thinking of him in that way. She couldn't stop thinking about him at all. Somehow everything from garden gnomes to Transfiguration had some connection to her relationship with Neville, which she would ponder for some time until she was thoroughly distracted.

"Window or aisle?" He asked her as they stepped onto the train. There weren't a lot of people travelling to London today. Amelia found she liked the emptiness of the car, she felt less suffocated as she probably would have otherwise.

"Window." She said with certainty, taking it immediately. He chuckled and squeezed in beside her. She felt her skin prickle where their flesh met.

She bit her lip in excitement and leaned against the seat, closing her eyes momentarily. "How long is the trip?"

"A little over an hour." Neville said, glancing at their tickets. "Probably not enough time to get a nap in, I'm afraid."

"I can try." She insisted, "I'm going to need my rest if we're going to be running about London all day."

Neville frowned, "Not all day. If Gran found out we're doing this she'd have our heads."

Amelia glared at him, "You mean we're not allowed to do this? Why didn't you tell me before-"

"Well first of all, you wouldn't have gone. Secondly, it's not that we're not supposed to go to London. It's that we're supposed to ask. But since she's at work-"

"It's still illicit behavior." She cut in.

He placed his hand gently on hers, "Relax. Gran isn't going to catch us because we're going to catch the four o'clock train to Brighton so that we're home before she is. I've got it all figured out."

"If you're sure." Amelia said, pursing her lips.

After that, the trip seemed to pass quickly. They talked off and on about random things that came to their minds: school, Gran, things to do in London. And then suddenly, they were there.

Getting off at platform 3 rather than 9 ¾ was odd. Being completely surrounded by Muggles who had no idea what she and Neville were was kind of exhilarating. It gave her a glimpse into a life that could have been: one where they were Muggles and had no need to fear the wrath of what was coming.

"Where to first?" She asked once they stepped outside.

Neville looked through the map he had grabbed as they walked passed by a tourist kiosk. Amelia fought the urge to fix the strand of hair that had fallen into his eyes.

"We could head for the Tower of London. Or Buckingham Palace?" He asked giddily. "Or there's Westminster or- bloody hell there's a lot of parks aren't there."

"Why not the London Eye?" Amelia suggested, "It seems like fun."

Neville stiffened, "Are you sure?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is there anything else you'd like to start with?"

Amelia frowned, "If you want. Are you scared of heights or something?"

He blushed and immediately denied it, "Of course not, that's ridiculous."

"So then let's go if it's not a problem." Amelia teased, smirking. "Come on."

Neville, although he looked as though he would rather be ripped to pieces by a hippogriff, trudged along behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him muttering something to himself as he stared up at the huge ferris wheel that was getting bigger with every step.

Thankfully, there weren't many people there that day so the wait in line wasn't very long at all. The idea of being in an enclosed space with several people she didn't know scared Amelia only a little bit and her worries were soon placed to rest when she realized how roomy the capsule actually was.

"This isn't too bad." Neville commented. "This won't be bad at all."

"I'm getting the idea that you actually might be afraid of heights, Nev."

Neville didn't even have to answer. Amelia knew she was right. He had gone so pale, he looked sick. He very well might have been. As much as she didn't love the idea of being barfed on, she moved closer to him and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I wouldn't have suggested this if I'd known. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's embarrassing, isn't it?" Neville sighed, "Yet another thing I'm afraid of. Typical Neville Longbottom, right?"

"Oh shut up, you know that's not true. It's perfectly rational to be afraid of heights." She said calmly, "Don't beat yourself up. Let's get off."

"Are you sure? You're having fun!"

"I'm not having fun if you're not, Nev. Ridiculous boy." Amelia scoffed, grabbing the attention of the attendant, who stopped the ferris wheel and let them off.

As soon as the pair stepped off the ride, Neville leaned over a trash can and threw up so aggressively, Amelia was afraid he would disappear. Once he was finished, looking much less green than he had two minutes previously, the two walked to a bench where they sat so Neville could catch his breath.

"I feel like a lousy friend. How didn't I know that you were afraid of heights?" Amelia bemoaned. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"It's embarrassing!" Neville replied, wiping the vomit from his lips. "Just one more thing Neville Longbottom is afraid of."

"You know that's not what I think about you, right? And this fear is perfectly rational. There are plenty of people who are afraid of heights."

Neville sighed, "I suppose. It's still disappointing."

"Let's find something else to do!" Amelia said cheerfully. The rain had intensified, leaving her very few options to suggest. "Why don't we go to a café somewhere? We can warm up and decide what to do next."

Neville smiled feebly, "That sounds lovely."

She clutched his hand firmly, enjoying the warmth that spread through her. As they walked together, it was pleasant to pretend that this was an act they did often, holding hands. It gave her hope that maybe someday, she wouldn't have to pretend.

The café they chose was quite busy but they still managed to get out quickly with their drinks. Neville was very familiar with the options on the menu but Amelia was not. He had to describe each one is great detail until she was able to make an educated decision, something she was very concerned with. What if she picked something and hated it and wasted all that money on something she wasn't going to drink anyway. In the end, she bought a hot chocolate, and was very pleased with her choice.

They sat tucked away in a small corner of the café, watching the people pass out the window. Amelia was quite fond of watching these Muggles. Understanding them would only help her with her writing and in a strange way, it calmed her. They all moved easily around each other, their own personal agendas. They had no concern with imminent danger.

When they left the café, the rain had slowed down to a drizzle and they were able to walk at a normal pace.

"Where shall we go now?" Neville asked, looking around. "I'm sure there are some museums still open. We could hit one of those and head home. Gran will be getting off work in about three hours."

Amelia nodded fervently and was about to suggest one she'd heard of in Muggle Studies. Before she could get the words out, her good mood was shattered.

"Look who it is, boys." A sinister voice snarled behind them. "A Longbottom and a Hufflepuff." This unclever comment was followed by a symphony of nasally laughs.

Amelia hadn't seen or heard from her brother since a few weeks before the last school year ended. He had made himself scarce in her life, which considering the circumstances, was a relief. Any attention brought to the fact that she no longer had a family and was an outcast in every way possible, was more than she could handle.

And yet there he was, strutting up to her and Neville on what had been a fairly good day. His slimy posse of friends hid behind him, waiting for his call to attack.

"What are you two up to on this," Draco sniffed the air and grimaced, "fine day?"

Neither of them answered. Amelia felt Neville's eyes on her, watching to see what she'd do. Unfortunately, she had no idea what her next move was. Draco was far smarter than her and would most likely find something witty to say to whatever she came up with. It was a futile and hopeless task.

"Just exploring." Neville finally answered simply, "Now if you don't mind, we'd like to be on our way, Malfoy."

"Now wait just a minute, Longbottom. Can't I talk to my sister for a minute?"

Neville glared at him, "No. You lost that privilege when your prick of a father kicked her out. Come on, Amelia." Before she could follow after Neville, Amelia's hand was seized by her brother's, holding her back.

"Wait!" He cried, "You think it's going to be that easy? Some half-hearted sign of rare bravery is going to stop me?" The Slytherins behind him chuckled. Draco leaned in until his nose brushed Amelia. She could feel his hot breath on her skin, and it prickled.

"What do you want?" She whispered, "I have nothing for you."

"On the contrary, sister dearest. You have something very important to me." Draco glanced behind him at his friends. "We have business to discuss. Let's go somewhere more private."

"No!" Neville exclaimed, "Absolutely not. You're not taking her anywhere, Malfoy." He pulled out his wand and held it threateningly.

"Neville, no!" Amelia choked, "Please. Just let him take me."

Neville's fierce gaze at her brother didn't falter. "I can't do that, Amelia. You're not getting hurt by him ever again."

"I'm not going to hurt her, you idiot." Draco sneered, "Put away your wand."

"Not until you let her go and leave us alone. Don't think I'm not willing to curse you to get rid of you, because I am."

Draco scoffed, "And get expelled from school? Not likely. You'd never see your precious Amelia."

"As long as I knew she was safe, I'd do anything."

Amelia looked between her brother and Neville, afraid for both of them. They were both wild cards, both with hidden skills they could break out at any moment. She was terrified of the bloodbath that might occur if they were allowed to duel.

Thankfully, Draco was intelligent enough to know such a display wouldn't bode well on himself or the wizarding world. He threw down Amelia's hand and spun on his heel, walking away firmly.

Her head grew light and she found it was quite difficult to hold herself up. Neville rushed to her side and held on with all his strength.

"Let's go home." He whispered to her. "Is that okay with you?"

She nodded, looking after her brother. "Yes. Let's go home."


End file.
